Jedi Knight Naruto: Revised
by Sgt. Assassin
Summary: Naruto and Revan return to the Galactic Republic, bringing about changes no one foresaw. A Split-Verse version of ESM's story. If you like his story, you should like this one, as well.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Return**

_**A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...**_

Coruscant. Considered the crown jewel of the galaxy for hundreds of thousands of centuries, this planet has been the base of operations for the Republic and the Jedi Order for millenia. If one were to enter orbit of this worldwide city, one would encounter thousands of hovercars, and hundreds of thousands of spaceships, ranging in all sizes and shapes, and from every part of the galaxy.

Suddenly appearing out of hyperspace, a freighter, bearing many dents, scorch marks, and patch jobs hobbled into regular space. Jedi Knight Revan Namikaze looked at the now smoldering remains of her control pannel. The damn thing blew up right as she was entering lightspeed. From there, it was a 3 hour hellride filled with near misses and one clusterfuck after the next. If she hadn't received a warning through the Force, she would have been sitting right at the controls and would have been severely injured, if not killed.

She allowed the ships emergency systems to kick in, putting the controls on autopilot before heading to the main hold where she accessed the remaining systems from the control pannel there. "_Times like this I miss the Ebon Hawk. Such a reliable little ship," _she thought sighing. "_From the looks of this diagnostic, this ship will not last much longer. If I can't get to my destination soon, I may need to land somewhere and conduct repairs. Otherwise, she'll literally fall apart at the seams. The next jump to lightspeed would tear this thing apart like a rancor tears apart a Gamorrean."_

Revan sighed again. She hadn't aged a day in four thousand years. "_Not even the masters knew that being a Solarian meant an extended lifespan of THIS magnitude." _While she missed her homeworld, it had been destroyed long ago while she had still been a child, so her ties to the planet weren't as strong as others would be.

Checking the systems, she saw her ship was coming up on the ancient planet of Coruscant.

"_Thank the Force for small favors." _she thought. It had taken her some time to find a useable ship out beyond the Outer Rim, and unfortunately, this one had been the best she could find. The others were piles of scrap, and were beyond even her ability to repair. As it was, this one had been barely salvageable, but she hand managed. She'd been forced into hiding for nearly one thousand years, and now the Force was calling her back to the known galaxy, to make her return to the Jedi.

"_And who am I to question the will of the Force."_

Shaking her head again, she thought back to all the things she had learned amongst the most unique world she had ever encountered. "_My time on the world with ninja was...interesting. I learned a lot of things there. So many things that we Jedi, and even the Sith, had no clue even existed. So many useful...Jutsu, was it? Yes, so many useful Jutsu that I couldn't even begin to count."_

With that thought, Revan formed a simple cross seal and focused her chakra. "Tajuu, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

A puff of smoke later, and five identical copies of Revan were in the room. "Alright, as you know, the main control panel is shot to hell. We need to jury-rig it just enough for us to land. I want you two to get to it." She pointed at two of the clones. She then looked at another pair. "You two check the hyperdrive. It was belching smoke and shaking violently when we made the last jump."

The four clones nodded and went to their tasks.

"What about me, Boss?" The last clone asked. Revan turned to it. "You get to check our weapon supplies." She said. The one that got weapons nodded. "And what are you going to be doing while we're all busy?"

Revan paused, then sighed. It seemed like she couldn't stop nowadays. This was one side effect she hated with the Kage Bunshin. The clones had the ability to utilize independent thought when they needed (or wanted) to. "Me?...I'm going to check on Naruto." She said, a catch in her voice.

The clone paused at that, a melancholy look appearing on it's face. "He's going to be fine. The stasis pod was working fine when you last checked it." The clone said.

Revan shook her head. "I just hope after all these years, the medical facilities haven't stagnated on Coruscant. It's been several thousand years, after all."

The clone watched her go, a sad look on it's face as it went about it's task. "Two immortal beings, and yet he's being destroyed by an unknown poison, strong enough to give his regenerative powers a problem." The clone said sadly. "He'll make it Revan. He's too stubborn not to. The love you two share...the trials and tests you've been through...it's too important to him to give up without a fight." The clone said before getting back to work.

Revan entered the medical bay and stopped before the stasis pod. Her hand reached out, and touched the glass over the occupants face. He had whisker like marks on his tanned skin and long spiky blond hair. His crystal blue eyes were closed as she studied him, like she had done millions of times since she first met him.

"Hey there." She said softly, caressing the pod and wishing it was him instead. "We're coming up on Coruscant. I wish you were awake to see it." Revan stopped, her hand still resting on the glass. "Its been a long month, love. I've missed you so much."

Revan looked at her husband, her eyes taking in his features. "I don't care what the new council has to say. I'll make sure you're better. We can head out. I can show you worlds and wonders of the galaxy, the wonders of my home, just like you've shown me yours all those years ago."

Revan reached out with the Force and felt him, felt him fighting the poison in his system, a battle to live.

She didn't touch him in the force, for she knew he needed his full attention, even in stasis to keep the poison back.

"I won't lose you Naruto Namikaze. I can't lose you." She said the last part softly.

"_You have been my light, my life, my sanity." _She thought looking at the pod's occupant.

"Hey, boss?"

She turned to see a shadow clone standing there covered in soot and sporting a grin. "We rigged the console. Best thing would be to scrap this ship after we land. We can't do anything more with it."

Revan nodded. She appreciated the report being verbal, rather than the clone dissipating and her getting the mental lowdown. Naruto had warned her that she could get a headache if she dispelled too many too fast. Despite the fact that she got the information anyways, she preferred the verbal report after all the years of being a general in the Republic.

"Good job, as always." Revan said, and the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. She sighed, getting the information, then turned to look at the stasis pod once more.

"You'll be better soon, love. I'll be waiting for you."

With one last look, she turned and left.

Entering the atmosphere, Revan, despite telling herself that things would be different, was somewhat surprised at how much Coruscant had grown in four thousand years.

"_And yet, some things remain the same." _she thought, spotting the Jedi Temple and the Senate buildings. _"Four thousand years, and not a block has changed, nor a statue moved. It's exactly the way I left it when I went to war."_

Checking her readings on her jury-rigged panel, she plotted the course and brought the ship in. Activating the communication array, she grimmaced as several hundred years of feedback squealed into her ears before clearing up. "Jedi Temple, this is Freighter 0107613 requesting immediate emergency landing clearance and a medical team on hand. I repeat, this is Freighter 0107613 requesting immediate landing clearance. "

There was a brief pause, during which the transmission was relayed to the tower. "Freighter 0107613, this is Jedi Temple Control, say again?"

"I have a poisoned person on board in stasis. I need a healer. Now I need those bay doors opened NOW. This ship isn't going to hold together much longer." Revan transmitted her old codes, and was surprised to see the doors opening. "Clearance granted, 0107613. I will send an emergency medivac team to meet you at the landing bay." "_Guess they never got around to removing my codes from the docking lists. __Thank you, Kami." _She thought as she brought the freighter in, the ship groaning as she fired the retro-rockets and activated the landing gear.

The hanger was nearly deserted, and she thanked the Force for that. The ship landed, and she heard the landing gear groan and squeal in protest. She powered the systems down, watching them spark and flicker before dying altogether, and went to the boarding ramp. Hitting the release, she then went to the medbay and prepared the stasis pod for movement. She used the cargo loader, and was at the bottom of the ramp before she was met by several Jedi, one wearing Healer's robes.

"Hey, what's up?" She greeted, instantly regretting her choice of words. "_I've been around Naruto way too long." _she thought.She saw their quizzical looks, and grinned sheepishly.

"What was he poisoned by?" the healer asked, foregoing formalities over the health of a patient in distress.

"I'm not sure what it's called. It was tailor-made to put someone like him out of commission. I managed to get a sample of it before we got out of there." She handed a vial to the healer.

The healer motioned to a pair of Padawans. "Get this stasis pod to the medical center. Do not open it."

They nodded, and rushed it to the turbolift. Revan sighed, and moved to follow.

"A moment please." She stopped, turning to see several Jedi, who were by the look of it members of the Jedi Council.

"Yes, a moment, if you will. A few questions, have we, about your security codes."

Revan blinked, seeing a being that reminded her of Master Vandar. "_In all the years I've lived, all the worlds I've traveled, and all the species I've met, I have only encountered Master Vandar before and never his like."_

"I can answer a few, but I would like to check on my husband." She said, immediately noticing their reaction. Some faces were twisted in confusion, others simply had eyebrows raised in question.

"Identification, we need. The code you used to open the hanger, long unused has it been. How you know this code, puzzling it is."

_The little trog isn't dumb._

"My name is Revan Namikaze. My rank is that of Jedi Knight. Identification number 007364036."

The tall one next to the little green one was black, bald and had the air of a Jedi Master. He was holding a datapad, and entered the information as she presented it to them.

"Her identification confirms…she's-wait a minute..." he paused and his eyes widened. "Impossible!"

Revan smiled. "Yes, your records do not lie. I'm over four thousand years old. I bet the Trog here is several centuries under his belt."

The olive green skinned alien gave a bow of his head at that. "Now, if you do not mind, much the council has to ask you, Knight Revan. "

"After I've confirmed my husband's health, I will answer your questions. Sorry if I come across as rude or harsh, Masters, but where my mate is concerned, I don't have the patience to deal with much. You want my history…dig through the archives like a Padawan." She smiled at that. With a slight bow to them she hurried to the lift, leaving a group of bewildered Jedi.

"Married? Master, you told me we could not marry, or even have relations of that sort with another individual." one Obi-Wan Kenobi asked, looking at his master Qui Gon Jinn in shock.

"Knight Revan, raised in the old code she was. Rules and restrictions, changed they have, since she's been here last." Master Yoda said, his eyes following the black robed woman's journey to the turbolift.

"Revan? As in the Revanistic code?" Obi-Wan asked.

Mace Windu wordlessly handed Qui Gon the datapad.

"Solarian?" the Jedi Master asked in surprise, seeing her home world and race displayed on the datapad.

"Wiped out long ago, they were. A terrible tragedy, indeed. Revan, the last of her kind, she is." Yoda said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"How long can they live?" Obi-Wan asked confused.

"Unless slain, immortal they are." Yoda said. "Sith Lord Exar Kun, during his reign of terror, tried to end their existence, he did. As a child, Revan, the soul survivor, she was."

"You seem to know a lot about Knight Revan. Care to share how you know or came upon all of this?" Qui Gon peering up from the entry in the datapad.

Yoda chuckled, "My ways, I have. Live as long as I do, and secrets, you uncover. Revealed, it all will be, with time." He then hobbled off, leaving a bewildered Mace, amused Qui-Gon, confused Obi-Wan, and a dilapidated freighter in the empty hanger.

_**Okay. Ch. 1 is complete. Just to let you all know, I had asked, and have been given permission to do a Split-Verse version of the story Ero Slacker Micha's writing. I will say it now: I do not own Star Wars, Naruto, or any of ESM's work. They all belong to their respective owners. I take credit only for the ideas that pop into my head, nothing more. That being said, I don't want to hear anyone saying, "You stole ESM's work!", or, "That's copyright infringement!" I will be making this story as close to cannon as possible (Naruto and Star Wars), while following ESM's storyline to an extent. I will be making adjustments as I see fit, and adding/taking away things to try and improve the story. Once again, I OWN NOTHING! I liked, and still like, ESM's version. I just wanted to write a version of my own, and not get burned at the stake for it, lol. Anyway, if you like it, thank you. I do try hard to make the story as best as I can. If not, don't read it. Nuff said.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Meeting the Jedi**

The sounds of the medbay were soothing as Revan entered, watching as Naruto was laid on one of the bed.

"We were able to break down the toxin, analyze its' composition, and it was rather simple to concoct a antidote to counteract the effects. He should be fine now." The Healer said.

"Thank you. In the unknown regions, the technology isn't advanced enough to break down a toxin like this, and while they might come up with toxins like this one, which can make our poisons look like the common cold, they rarely make antidotes to counteract said poisons." Revan said, her eyes on the sleeping form of her husband.

"How long before he wakes up?" she asked, turning her eyes back to the Healer.

"About two hours, as his body is healing rapidly. It is unlike anything I've ever seen before."

Revan smiled. "Naruto has a natural healing factor. His body temperature will run hotter than you think it should." She said.

The Healer nodded. "I was going to ask about that."

Revan sighed. "I suppose I should go before the council now that he's safe. If he wakes up while I'm gone, get him something to eat…" she smiled, over towards his bedside. "And make sure you have enough, he has a high metabolism."

The healer nodded again, and Revan stopped by her lover's bed before kissing him lightly on the lips for the first time since he was put in stasis nearly a month ago.

"I'll be back soon love." She stroked his whisker marks and smiled softly as he instinctively leaned into her touch.

Spinning around, she headed for the lift that would take her up to the council chambers. "_Some things stay the same, while others change." _She thought of the layout of the temple, and while it had grown, she still knew where nearly all the important places were.

* * *

><p>Revan growled as she waited to speak with the Council. "<em>Damn old bastards, making me wait like this…heh, great example of the pot calling the kettle black. But still, they want to talk to me, then they make me wait. Council's all over the galaxy are the same, now or four thousand years ago."<em>

She leaned against the wall across from the chamber doors, her right leg crossed over her left, her finger tapping a random beat on her crossed forearms.

She turned her head, and looked out upon the skyline of Coruscant. Not having to worry about a borrowed freighter falling apart around her, she noticed a lot of buildings reaching further above the clouds, melding together with the ever present hovercar traffic in the skylines.

"_More people are here." _She mentally scolded herself. _"Of course there would be, idiot. You've been gone for so long." _Curious, she reached out through the Force and felt the overwhelming life energy of the planet and it's inhabitants. "_If there was a Sith Lord like Nihilius on Coruscant, he would enjoy the feel of this place."_

Revan sighed. She'd been in the Unknown Regions when her former Master, Kreia, had led two other Sith Lords on a rampage to exterminate the Jedi Order.

"_Kreia, how long has it been since I thought about you, my fallen master? When did you finally fall? Was it before or after me? Jaina swore you helped her from her Exile."_

Revan sighed again, shifting against the wall. "_I've lived too long, yet it's thoughts of family and friends, people who were dear to me, and who have long since passed, that hurt the most." _Her mind turned towards her husband in the medical bay. Sending out a tendril of thought through the Force, she encountered the groggy consciousness of her husband.

"_Beloved?"_she sent thru their bond.

"_Uhh...my head...Rev? Is that you? Where the hell am I?"_came the distorted feeling.

Revan fought to not laugh out loud. "_We are on Coruscant, in the Jedi Temple. It was the only place I could think of that might be able to help you."_

A feeling resignation passed through the bond. "..._What happened to the bastard?"_

"_I know you thought of him as a brother, love, and your closest friend. But when you fell…I kind of went Sith Lord on his ass. The biggest piece left could be described as a dish sponge."_

"_Oh, Rev...Are you okay?" _came the concern.

Revan took a moment to feel the love and concern in the bond. "_I am, now that you are awake and well. I swear Naruto...I don't think I can lose you..."_

"_Don't worry Rev, you won't. I think my healing factor would have won eventually."_

"_Well I couldn't risk it. You save me everyday, Naruto. You have since you found me all those years ago."_

She smiled, feeling his embarrassment.

"_I was sixteen, on a training trip with the biggest pervert in the elemental nations, and I find this angel swimming in a hidden pond under the moonlight. You can imagine my surprise."_

Revan blushed, remembering their first meeting. "_You were so cute, and sweet. You even blushed like a schoolgirl when I emerged naked. I still feel like I robbed the cradle."_

Laughter came back across the bond.

Revan chuckled._ "Alright, brat. Get something to eat. I need to meet with the council. They'll have more questions for me than your friend Konohamaru did when you handed him the Hokage's hat."_

Naruto snorted in amusement._ "I thought Ko was going to shit a brick when I named him Nandaime Hokage five years into my reign."_

Revan had to agree. "_And even at fifty-two, he called you boss."_

"_Ko was one of my precious people. He'll be a fine Hokage, like his grandfather before him."_

Revan smiled. They had left Konoha in the hands of Konohamaru Sarutobi, after being married for nearly thirty years.

"_He'll miss you." _Revan sent.

A hint of sadness came back. "_I'll miss them all as well. But Ko and Hanabi will be fine. Most of my friends are in their sixties and seventies or dead. It was a good time to leave." _Naruto said across the bond. "_Our being there and not aging was hurting them. Hunting down Sasuke was necessary. The teme learned Orochimaru's immortality jutsu, and I couldn't leave him to terrorize Konoha any longer."_

Revan nodded. It was one of the reason's they'd given to Konohamaru and Hanabi before they left. "_I sent a messenger toad to tell Konohamaru that we were leaving. I said we probably wouldn't be back for a long time."_

"_If ever." _Naruto sent back sadly. Revan wished she was down there right now. Her husband was hurting, and she knew it was her decision that was causing it. It had been one of the same decisions she'd made countless times over the millennia.

"_By the Force, I miss Bastila and Mission. Hell, even ol' Bindo, and even that damned pilot Onasi." _She thought.

Despite what many thought at the time, she hadn't loved Carth Onasi. She saw him as an annoying friend. Annoying, but loyal to a fault, and willing to do pretty much anything for his friends. _Quick to judge, but not so quick to apologize._

She'd vanished after the destruction of Star Forge to take time to piece together her memories and had taken Mission and Zalbaar with her to the Outer Rim worlds of Napolis and Shington. The return had brought her face to face with her former friend, Jaina Zolo, the Exile as many called her. Revan, however, called her friend and confidant.

"_I should have done something other than let her go back to Atris after the war. That Schutta had it out for Jaina because she followed me."_

"_Thinking of old friends, love?" _Naruto's mental voice asked softly.

"_Sorry. I just…being back here, and being reminded of your friends is bringing old memories to the surface. People, places, old friends...long gone." _Revan sent back.

"_Its okay, hime, I understand. The healer just brought a tray…uhh...not to be a critic, but is this slop even food?"_

Revan laughed as she got the mental image. "_Goop, huh? I remember that stuff. Its nutritious, so I'd advise you to eat it."_

"_Rev, honey...it's grey...last time I checked, food is not supposed to be gray." _Naruto sent back.

"_Eat your goop. I promise to take you out for real food when I'm done here." _Revan sent, noticing the door opening, and propped herself off the wall, heading towards the entrance.

"_Showtime. Wish me luck."_

"_You don't need any more luck. You're full of it. But I send my love with you Revan."_

Revan felt the mental caress and kiss. She reciprocated, cut the link, and squared her shoulders, entering the main council chamber of the Jedi Masters for the first time in four thousand years.

Naruto sighed as the link closed, and he looked at the bowl. "…Please tell me they have ramen."

"I'm not sure what your asking about, sir." The healer said.

"Ramen…noodles, broth, vegetables…" he saw her blank look. "_I swear if they don't have ramen, I'll have Revan take us back, and fill the cargo hold with it…or get Ayame's daughter or granddaughter to come with and be my personal ramen chef…"_

Smiling at that, he turned his attention to the substance again. "Your sure this is food? I mean it looks like something used to sandblast the walls."

The healer smiled. "Well, we did just clean the temple."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "You're pulling my leg."

"I'm a Jedi. I don't have a sense of humor." The woman said smiling even more.

Naruto laughed. "I think I like that. I'm Naruto. Naruto Namikaze."

The woman smiled, and Naruto took a moment to study her. She had diamond marks on her cheeks and forehead. Her skin was pale, nearly white. She wore robes like Revan's but longer and were a deep blue. "I am Healer Shi-Shi Dawn. Welcome to the Jedi Temple, Naruto Namikaze."

* * *

><p>"So, my wife is with the council." Naruto asked after trying a mouthful of the Goop, before realizing it was like the energy bars Choji used to make for him.<p>

"Knight Revan?" she asked for confirmation.

"Yeah." He said with a smile.

"It probably will take a while, as Knight Revan's return is the talk of the temple."

Naruto groaned.

"Not very often that a Knight comes back after missing for four millennia."

Naruto shrugged. "If I hadn't been stupid and gotten poisoned, I have a feeling it would have been even longer."

"About that poison..." Shi-Shi started, and Naruto nodded at her to continue.

"It's serpentine based, but none of the serpents in the database were a match. I had to synthesize a whole new antidote out of the poison Knight Revan had collected."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. An…enemy made it, and coated his blade with it. I thought my healing factor would be able to deal with it, so I ignored the wound, and kept going till I collapsed."

"Hmm...I see. What world are you from, if I may ask?" Shi-Shi asked.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Not sure if it has a name. The Elemental Countries do not participate in space travel, and we never really looked beyond the stars, or thought of much else but what was happening on the ground before us. Revan might know, as she's wandered quite a bit, picking up records of historical significance before I met her."

Naruto finished the goop, his stomach growling in protest at the lack of sustenance. He wished for his usual amount of ramen, but it could wait until Revan finished her business with the council. "_Being married has taught me patience…and Rev won't let me gorge myself on ramen like I did when I was little."_

"So...if I may be so bold as to ask...what's it like to be married to Knight Revan?" Shi-Shi asked. Naruto smiled at this.

"Well…"

* * *

><p>Standing before the whole of the Jedi Council, hands behind her back, Revan introduced herself to the Masters, before standing at attention.<p>

"Welcome before this council you are, Knight Revan. At attention, you need not stand. Long has it been pondered, your fate." Yoda said after introductions had been completed.

Revan gave a formal bow to the council. "Truthfully, I never intended to return. Circumstances were out of my control and I was forced to."

Yoda made a humming sound and she narrowed her eyes. She'd seen the same look on Master Vandar's face, and she knew he was already thinking six moves ahead.

"Your husband, well he is?" he finally asked, and shock filled the chamber as that bit of news hit the council members who hadn't witnessed her arrival to the temple.

"He's awake, hungry, and eager to explore new places." _And I almost pity anyone who aggravates him, I don't think Jedi have ever been pranked before." _Revan thought. She could see the concentration and frowns on several faces.

"If your trying to scan my surface thoughts, that won't work." She said, startling them out of their attempt.

"Over the millennia, I have constructed mental shields that not even masters of the mind arts can get into. "_Boy was Ino pissed when her families techniques failed." _Revan thought fondly of the blond ninja that had been a friend of her husbands.

"What are your intentions now, Knight Revan?" A female master asked. Revan looked at the dark skinned woman and paused. "Truthfully? I need to see the status of my vault, either get the ship re…no scratch that, get a new ship and have that one scrapped altogether, and then I was thinking of showing Naruto around my old stomping grounds. See how galactic history has faired in four thousand years, have a few laughs."

She saw one scowl on the Cerean Master's face. "I know you may have been raised in the ways of the Old Code, but I do know, however, that the Jedi of your time were forbidden from having or forming such attachments."

Revan snorted. "This coming from you? How many wives and children do you have Master…Mundi was it?"

She watched him shift in his seat. "For those that don't know me or my history, let me sum up a few things for all of you. I am a Knight of the Old Code. The Jedi Code that was instated that you all follow was set after Exar Kun. My master had me swear to the Old Code, for as a Solarian, I couldn't follow the Code that most were trying their best to shove down every Padawan's throat back in those days. I use my emotions, my instincts. And when the council wiped my memories, they still couldn't wipe out the core of who and what I was."

"A Sith lord." Mace Windu spoke up, and several Masters looked panicked. Revan laughed. "I was labeled a Sith Lord, but I wasn't really." She looked at Yoda. "I believe you need to open Master Vandar's personal holocron. It will answer many questions that happened in those days, and why he made sure I was made a Jedi a second time, despite some wanting to kill me."

She looked around the gathered Masters, wishing to choose her words carefully, but deciding to forgo niceties and address her concerns. "I will be blunt with you all: This council, nay, the Jedi in general have grown soft, weak, and complacent in their power. I sense darkness in the senate-"

"Now hold on." A master interrupted, standing up suddenly. "You have no right to speak-"

"Silence." Yoda said cutting off the Corellian. "Knight Revan, much she has seen. Foolish it is, to ignore her warnings. Trust she has of mine, no question." Yoda's eyes scanned the masters, many of them shocked.

"Rank of Master, she was given, by the Council after battle of Taris. Confirm it now, should we?" he asked looking at Revan, whose eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, hell no." Revan said, shaking her head. "I am not Master material. I hate meetings, and if you ask Naruto, I can't even keep the summons listening to me."

That last phrase quirked many eyebrows. "Rank of Master has been awarded you, Revan. Why do you run from it?" Yoda asked.

"Because, little Trog, I HATE RESPONSIBILITY!" Revan yelled the last bit out. "I was in charge during the Mandalorian Wars as a Knight, and I hated it. I hated making decisions that could, and DID cost lives of soldiers under my command. Despite what history said, I never wanted to go through with Vrook's and Vandar's plan to root out traitors to the Republic. I never wanted to find the Star Forge, and I sure as hell didn't want to lead my best friend to the dark side, and get blown up with my memories sealed away."

Revan was clenching her fists at her side, trembling slightly. "I didn't want to journey around the thrice damn ignorant and stuck up galaxy, unlocking my memories and nearly getting killed by a friend along the way. I didn't want to face my best friend who I considered my brother and kill him."

Revan glared at Yoda. "I left the Republic four thousand years ago to get away from this. Don't-"

"Revan." Yoda said, his voice soft. "Denying who and what you are, not help you will it. Your need to help others, deep it is."

Revan sighed. "Damn manipulating elders." She thought, remembering Tsunade saying the same damn thing to her when she'd come to Konoha with Naruto, and the Slug Sannin manipulated her into becoming a nin of the Hidden leaf.

"I really hate your species, Trog."

Yoda gave her a satisfied grin. "Protest too much, you do. Spoke highly of you, Master Vandar did, as The Exile, Knight and later Master Shan, and many others did in their holocrons, too."

"Tch, those guys were always sappy bastards." Revan muttered. However, she was touched her friends thought of her that way, even when she ran away to heal her heart, body and soul.

"Masters?" they turned towards the door to see Healer Shi-Shi stepping in, a nervous look on her face.

Revan groaned, palming her face in disbelief. "He slipped out didn't he?"

Shi-Shi nodded. "I just went to check on supplies, and when I returned, he was gone."

Revan chuckled, shaking her head. "Naruto hates hospitals of any kind. Always has, and probably always will." She took a deep breath, and pulled a very battered looking holocron from the inside of her robes. "My holocron. I can't guarentee it, but you should find everything you are looking for in here. I do want it back, Trog." She said, giving Yoda a look as the Force touched it, and levitated it over to the clawed hand of Yoda who nodded.

Revan looked at Shi-Shi. "I think I know where he is."

"Really? How?" Mace Windu asked.

"Naruto and I are bonded on many levels. That, and I know my husband very well. First thing he'll do is wander off, and try and find a place in the Temple to train. Most would be looking around, taking in the sights, but Naruto, after any kind of confinement, will look for a place to stretch and test his body. I just hope he doesn't do anything too...destructive." Revan said the last part softly.

With a half bow, she looked at the council "If you'll excuse me Masters, I best catch my husband before he offends someone and blows them and/or the Temple up."

She didn't wait for their acknowledgment. Many wide eyes followed her out of the doors, some mouths agape at the implications.

"...Did she mean that?" Plo Koon's deep voice rumbled.

A Nautolan Master, Kit Fisto, grinned. "Be interesting to find out, my friend."

Yoda chuckled as he gazed at the ancient holocron. "Interesting times ahead, there will be. _**Master**_Revan and her husband...change many things, they will. Interesting, to see his powers, it will be."

The council nodded, all of them noticing the inflection on the word Master. "I'll prepare her a list of Padawans to chose from-" Adi Gallia said but stopped as Yoda shook his head.

"Apprentice, she has already. Strong in the force is Naruto Namikaze. Palpable, it is. Impossible it is, to not feel it." The others closed their eyes and reached out.

"By the Force!" Adi said, her eyes opening. "How can anyone be that bright in the force?…it's like…"

"He and Revan are of the Force." Yoda agreed. "Flows around them, through them, it does. To them, no light side, no dark side, there is. Just is, the Force is to them."

His hand stroked the holocron in his grip. Not many knew this, but Yoda was a history junkie, and he had in his very hands, the personal holocron to one of the biggest mysteries of the past four thousand years.

"Pair them with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, we shall." He said. "Allow Revan and Naruto to become acclimated to the galaxy, we shall."

"And at the same time keep an eye on them." Mace said. "She gives in to her anger too easily."

"Solarian, she is. Important to them, emotions are. Empathy and instinct, helped them it has."

Yoda looked around the gathered Masters. "About the Senate, we must now discuss. Focus, we shall, on Revan's warning. Walks those halls, the Dark Side does. Prepare for conflict, we must."

* * *

><p>Naruto grinned as he slipped down the corridors. He'd taken a moment to admire the view from the window, and he'd been intimidated by what he saw, but he shook it off. "<em>Come on baka. This is Revan's territory. If she can stand living in my apartment for a year and not complain once, I can't be such a rube and not be surprised. I mean, she showed me her ship, so I shouldn't be surprised by what I see."<em>

Naruto looked out over Coruscant. He was tempted to leave the temple to explore, but he would wait for Revan. "_I could find trouble that is beyond me. That, and even though Revan taught me a couple languages, I don't want to insult someone too badly without meaning it."_

He smiled as he used chakra to run up a wall and hang from the ceiling as several younglings passed by underneath him.

He followed them, and despite being upside down, he was starting to map out the place in his head and was getting a good idea of where things were located. "_I'm shocked no one has looked up and noticed me yet." _Naruto thought.

"_But like Kakashi said, most people never look up." _Naruto felt a moment of sadness thinking of his first sensei.

Shaking himself from his memories, he felt a spike of emotion from Revan, but she was shielding hard so he couldn't tell what was happening, and he knew that if she was in trouble she would tell him.

He passed several rooms, and ended up in a high room, where he saw several people of various ages and species practicing with lightsabers. He remembered when Revan had him use one of hers back when he was on his journey. He was surprised how light they were, and he had to learn how to wield one on its' lowest settings so as not to lop off a limb.

"_Hm, most of them are using the basic style Rev taught me at first. So, that would make them Padawans?"_

Dropping lightly to the floor in a darkened corner, he watched several of the spars. "_Maybe now that we're here, Revan and I could make my own." _the blond thought.

"_Not that I mind using Rev's, but she is a sight to see with both blades in motion."_

He remembered their final assault on the Sound Village, him armed with a pair of ANBU swords, and her with lightsabers. "_Taught those bastards what happens when you kill my precious people." _He thought of Iruka's death, and his resulting rampage when he learned of the message that Sasuke had left for him with the body.

Shaking his head and focusing his thoughts, he calmed his emotions. Not that any of the rookie Jedi in the room could tell he was there, as he'd learned how to shield himself from numerous lessons with Revan.

"_I think she had more fun going through my mind and learning everything about me. But then, I saw her life as well...it was interesting, to say the least." _Naruto smiled softly remembering seeing some his wife's most embarrassing moments, from her first time as a Padawan, her time with Mission Vao during the hunt for the Star Forge, and the reclamation of her memories. The pain she felt when realized that most her friends were dead, and her desire never to return to the Republic.

"_And yet, she came back because of me." _Naruto thought.

Studying the room, he noticed a rack with numerous lightsabers, and went over to inspect them. Picking up one, he tested the balance of the grip. "_Too bottom heavy." _he thought.

He went through several of them, never activating them, but getting a feel for the handles.

"_Oh, what have we here?"_He paused in his inspection, seeing a doublesaber in the rack. "_Revan can slap hers together to make a double bladed lightsaber. This one has a solid grip, as well." _The blond thought, as he picked it up and spun the handle in a pattern he'd learned during his bo-jutsu lessons with Jiraiya during his three year training trip.

"_Nice balance to the grip. Seems stable, and well put together. Now, how about the color?" _He thumbed the activation switch, and a pair of orange blades sprung to life.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Naruto said with a smile.

Going to an empty practice space, he went through several of the forms Revan had shown him, and added in several of his own moves from the styles of his…his...

"_Homeworld? Kami, I'm no longer in the Elemental Nations. Who would have thought?" _Naruto kept moving, however, and he found that some of the Inuzuka taijutsu styles were a perfect fit to the double-bladed style. Naruto was in constant motion, his eyes closed, unaware that nearly every eye in the training room was on him.

_**Chapter 2 is complete, and it was kinda time-consuming. Managed to finish, though, and I'm pleased with the way the whole thing is turning out. You will notice similarities to ESM's story, and that is to be expected. This one is based off of his story, so it is bound to sound similar. I've already stated that I will be sticking to cannon as closely as possible, and that I would not deviate too much from ESM's story if I can help it. Once again, none of this is mine, and as such, I claim no ownership/credit for Star Wars, Naruto, or ESM's story.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Getting To Know A Ninja**

Naruto spun about, the simple bojutsu style with slight alterations gave him a nearly perfect form with the orange blades of destruction. Several times to the onlookers, it seemed the blond was about to lose a limb, but he never came even close, and he never once faltered.

Several Knights and Masters were watching this stranger, who to them had better control than many seasoned Knights, and would, without a doubt give a Master a run for his/her money.

The whiskered blond ignored them all. He was in the zone and enjoying the saber dance Revan had shown him. "_Wait, didn't that lead to that night in Suna?" _Naruto thought, a wicked grin appearing on his face as he remembered their night of passion. Of course, Kankuro's yell and Gaara's disapproving tone the following morning about them putting up silencing jutsu was less than appealing.

"_Kankuro, I can understand, cause he's always been a stick in the mud, but Gaara? He gets used to sleeping and acts like it's more important than anything in the world."_

Naruto did a flying helicopter kick, landing with ease as he then tossed the doublesaber into the air, performing several backflips before catching it and landing, continuing the motion into a rapid series of hand-over-shoulder spins, the twin blades whirring and humming through the air in a wonderfully displayed show of swordsmenship.

Naruto began to slow his dance as he felt the familiar presence of his wife coming down the hall. He smiled as he opened up to her.

"_Done with the meeting already, dear?"_

" _Cut the crap, Naruto. You snuck out of the medical center, AGAIN! You promised me you wouldn't do that kind of stuff any more. YOU SWORE ON RAMEN!"_

The mental yell from his wife froze him mid-motion. "_Now, Rev, love. I was perfectly fine. We agreed if I was fine, I didn't have to sit and wait for-"_

He felt her enter the room, and opened his eyes to see her march past the gathered crowd, "that look" on her face. "Don't you try and use your warped kind of logic with me, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Rokundaime Hokage or not, I will whip your ass from here to Konoha, and DON'T think I won't!"

Naruto deactivated the blade, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as onlookers began to blink owlishly. He tried to think of a way out of sleeping on the couch. Revan, however, looked around and then smirked as she turned back to him.

"Well, since your up and about, let's spar now that you have a lightsaber. When we're done, we'll work on making your own."

Naruto nodded, and moved back to the center of the mat. Revan was shielded and he sighed, knowing he was going to get his ass kicked...again. "_If this keeps up, I'm going to need to know__ where I can get milk chocolate around here." _He pondered as she drew her two lightsabers, activating them with a dual _SNAP-HISS_, the purple and red blades humming as she took up her stance.

Naruto reactivated the double-bladed orange lightsaber, and smiled seeing his wife's quirked eyebrow. "No." she said and he pouted. "But it's a good color!" He protested.

"It's orange. We talked about this." She said as he took up his own stance.

Revan could feel several members of the Council entering the chamber, spying the Master/Padawan duo from when she arrived.

"_Ready, love?" _Revan sent.

"_Yeah. Full out?" _Naruto's voice came back to her as they circled.

"_Yeah, why not. Let's show them how saber combat is done."_Revan's mental voice barely finished before she lunged, dual blades whirling in anticipation.

XX

Obi-Wan Kenobi's eyes widened as he watched the pair. He'd been watching the blond when he began going through his forms, astounded at his proficiency. He'd never seen anyone in the temple chose the doublesaber.

He had to admit, this unknown Knight was something to see.

When the woman from earlier arrived and spoke, Obi-Wan knew that they were speaking like Master and Apprentice.

"_But didn't she say he was her husband when they arrived?" _Obi-Wan thought, utterly confused.

Qui-Gon was next to his apprentice, and could feel the confusion flowing off him in waves. He knew the younger man had many questions. He found his eyes watching the pair as the lightsabers clashed. He had to admit, the blond was very good, and Revan was truly a master of the saber arts.

"Take it up a notch?" the blond asked, and Qui-Gon watched as she nodded, using the Force to try and shove the blond back. Leaping high into the air, he spun around before firing back, using Wind Chakra to try and knock her blades out of her hands. Smirking, Revan shrugged off the attack and thrust both fists up, catching Naruto with a huge Force thrust and catapulting him towards the ceiling. To everyone's shock, he landed on the ceiling...and stuck there.

"Come on up, Rev. The weather's nice up here." he said, making a 'come-hither' motion, and the gathered Masters, Knights, and Padawans watched as Revan performed the same Force leap, landing on the ceiling and continuing their duel, sparks flying as their blades clashed viciously. Performing a backflip, Naruto flung his blade at Revan, using it as a distraction to get in closer. Using a shunshin, Naruto caught his thown blade in mid-air, twirling it around to strike at Revan, who only smirked, and brought both blades to block his single one.

"Impossible." Master Took said, watching them with awe. The Jedi in the vicinity leapt back when Revan lost one of her sabers, having been knocked out of her hand when Naruto used his doublesaber to block one of her strikes, twisting the blade so she was off-center, before kicking her wrist and forcing her to let the blade go. Everyone leapt back as the blade fell, but relaxed as it deactivated long before it got to head level.

They watched as they added several fighting styles to the fight, combining martial arts with swordplay, and incorporating them into their strikes to make them more effective. The blond finally lost his footing when they crossed blades again, and Revan delivered a wicked headbutt, followed by a leg sweep and a Force Push that knocked him from the ceiling.

Flipping mid-air, he landed in a crouch, the doublesaber deactivated.

"So, that's how its going to be?" he growled at Revan. She nodded, and to the shock (and amusement) of spectators, stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at him, before leaping straight at him like an avenging angel, her red bladed lightsaber leading the way as Naruto proceeded to stand up once more.

The blond waited for the last moment, the doublesaber snapping to life as he spun, using his momentum to knock her back. Revan flipped and landed, grinning before charging again.

They met one another in the middle of the mat once more, blades sparking and hissing as the strikes became even more fierce, and after a flurry of moves, Revan with a flip kick knocked the lightsaber from the blond's hands. She then used the Force to send it flying.

To the shock of the crowd she wasn't done, as she swung her blade at the blond's head. Ducking, he did another back flip away, landing on the corner of the mat and giving her a wicked grin.

"Oh, its on now…Believe it." He said, and the gathered Jedi watched as he put his hands in a cross-shaped position.

Revan's blinked, before widening her eyes, seeing the fox-like grin on her husband's face. "Honey, it was all in good fun...you're not really-"

"TAJUU, KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" the blond roared, and the mat soon showed three dozen clones.

"Oi, Rev-chan...guess wha~aat?" They said in sing-song unison.

Revan's face paled, seeing the amount of clones Naruto had created. She could only produce ten herself, and that was per day. Things were not looking too good. So, she tried getting out of it the only way she could think of: Play sweet. "Yes, Naruto-kun?"

Revan watched as one of the clones handed Naruto her lost saber. "Things just got a hell of a lot harder for you. GET HER!" the original yelled.

Revan knew she was going to hurt after this one.

Around the chamber, sputters of shock and surprise sounded as the blond performed something they had never seen before.

Master Took spoke up, shocked and enraged. "A...a Sith Technique! Get the younglings away-"

"Stay, they will. Finished, this impressive display is not." Yoda said, overriding the Galactic History Master.

"Master Yoda…that technique-"

"Of Sith origin, it is not. Something different...unknown, it is. Too quick to judge you are, Master Took." Yoda said, his own gaze riveted as Revan called on the Force yet again to fight off the horde of blonds.

"Learn much we can from Namikaze, it seems. Unknown techniques, he possesses. Worth looking into, they are."

Revan was in constant motion, slicing through the clones rapidly as she worked her way though the masses, until she met resistance in the form of her own purple lightsaber.

"Hey, honey." Naruto said with a grin. "Miss me?"

"Hardly." She snorted, and once more they were in motion. Right, left, center, overhand, underhand, diagonal. Back and forth they went, blades clashing, Force powers dueling for supremacy as they danced around the practice mat. The gathered Jedi were surprised. None could remember the last time they'd seen such a duel, and a practice one at that.

Obi-Wan pried his eyes away from the spectacle to look at his master. "Are they trying to kill one another?"

"No…they are so attuned to the Force that they know what the other is about to do. They can sense their movements, and react accordingly. It takes a true Master of the Force to be able to do it, and it takes much training and skill to be able to maintain this state for a lengthy period of time." Qui-Gon Jin said. "_But even so, some of those blows are too close, way too close. A moments hesitation, and at best a limb will be lost. At worst, one of them could die._

Revan smiled, deciding that they had put on enough of a show, and did something that Naruto wasn't quite prepared for, however trained and disciplined he may be. She cut under his guard, discarded her saber, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him into a deep kiss. The purple lightsaber stilled, then deactivated and clattered to the floor as his hands went to her hips, holding her close to him.

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow and chuckled, while Obi-Wan went beet red.

"Most unorthodox way to win." His master chuckled.

Many in the room were uncomfortable with the display. Master Yoda's chuckle could be heard, as could Obi-Wan's. "I'll say. Don't they need to breath?"

Revan finally let her husband go, and smiled seeing the dazed look in his eyes. "I win." She said, using the Force to retrieve her sabers and clip them to her belt. She turned, and saw that many of the Masters were now ushering Padawans and younglings from the room.

"_Almost reminds me of the time Iruka asked us to demonstrate a tanto fight, and Naruto did that to me. I don't recall ever seeing Iruka turn that shade before…but some of the Jedi here look like they could put him to shame. Such prudish individuals."_

Seeing Yoda and Mace Windu, she smiled and gave a slight bow.

"Master Revan, well played, your victory was." Yoda said.

"Yeah, well…its not something you can learn in the Temple." She said with a grin, and saw her husband coming out of his daze.

She heard the laughter and turned, seeing the pair from before.

"Hello." The older of the pair gave a slight bow. "Qui-Gon Jinn, and my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Most impressive display between you and your Padawan."

"Revan Namikaze, and he's my husband, not my Padawan."

"So he's a Knight then?" Obi-Wan asked, his curiosity screaming at him to find out all he could of the pair.

"No. Naruto's never been trained in the Jedi arts. But from his world, he is an accomplished ninja, and a former leader amongst his people."

"Not trained…but…" Obi-Wan looked as Naruto was putting the borrowed lightsaber away, a grin on his face.

Revan laughed. "On his world, they have many skills and abilities that make what we do with the Force seem tame. They can control and manipulate the elements. They use a form of spiritual energy called Chakra." She said. "During my time amongst them, I learned how to harness it. Granted, I'll never be anywhere near my husband's chakra capacity. He, of course, has an amount greater than that of two hundred people."

"Three, to be accurate."

The turned to see Naruto standing there with a grin. "On the chakra scale Tsunade-baachan performed, I have more than three hundred people combined, and that's before I tap into the bottomless reservoir that the fox left me." He said, scratching the back of his neck seeing all the eyes upon him.

"Needless to say, Naruto is a juggernaut in battle."

"You've fought many times?" Obi-Wan asked.

A look of resignation appeared on Naruto's face. "...Yeah...far too many." His eyes took on a far away look, and the more skilled masters knew that look. The haunted look of a veteran, the look of someone who had done it all, and seen it all. One who had been through hell and back, and managed to retain some sanity through it all.

Yoda broke the uncomfortable silence. "Master Revan, assistance we require, from you and your husband."

Revan looked at the head of the Council.

"Master, ne? When were you going to tell me of this new development, hime?" Naruto asked, and she could not only hear, but feel the teasing tone in his voice, even though her back was to him.

"Stow it, love, or you'll sleep on the couch." She said.

Naruto mock pouted. "But you never let me sleep there alone."

Revan sighed. She hated to admit it, but he was right. "_Every time I banish him to the couch, I can't sleep and join him, which then leads to more strenuous and...pleasurable activities."_

Naruto saw the blush, and his fox-like grin got even bigger.

Yoda ignored the byplay. "Ask that you team up with Master Qui-Gon and his Padawan on duties, we do. Beneficial to both sides, it would be. Benefit from your years of experience, they would, and a guide around the newer additions to Coruscant, you would have."

Revan looked at Naruto, who shrugged. They didn't use the link, as they thought it was rude to do it around others, remembering Ino's screams every time they would mentally broadcast whole conversations and laugh or blush while out for dinner with her and Choji.

"Naruto?"

"Not like we really have pressing matters Rev." He answered.

"Nor a ship, for that matter." Revan muttered.

Naruto nodded, cringing slightly as he got the mental picture of the freighter...or what was left of it, anyway.

Revan looked at Yoda. "We accept, with the knowledge that we can leave when we wish, and decline missions that we do not wish to partake of."

Yoda nodded his head. Naruto was looking at him "Okay, this has been bugging me for a while, so I'll just go ahead and ask. Who's the toad?"

Revan laughed outright, while the rest of the council looked mortified at his question. Qui-Gon turned his head, doing his best to try and to hide his own smirk.

Obi-Wan look scandalized that someone would insult Master Yoda. Even more so when Master Yoda chuckled.

"Much to learn you have, young Namikaze. Yes, much to learn, indeed." Yoda said. Once everyone had composed themselves, his eyes landed on Revan, who was still smirking.

"Learn?" he shot a look at Revan. "Some of the things I taught you before we left Konoha." she replied.

Naruto nodded. "Actually, a lot of the things Revan taught me or tried to teach me I can't use. Meditation sure, but I don't have her connection to the Force."

The others looked surprised.

"Naruto is sensitive due to certain things that have happened to him long ago. As you can see he is able to wield a lightsaber…"

"But what of the standing on the ceiling or those…duplicates?" Obi-Wan asked. "His speed?"

Revan smiled. "Those are part of his abilities. Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Kenjutsu are just some of the disciplines from his world." She looked at Naruto, then at the Masters. "I think its best if we give them a demonstration of your skills, sweetie."

Naruto smiled. "Yes dear." He said. Without warning, she ignited her saber and swiped at him, but he used a Kawarimi to swap himself out with a training dummy, the poor tool shearing in half upon impact with the lightsaber and clattering to the floor.

"What? How?" Obi-Wan, the most outspoken of the group was shocked. They heard laughing and looked around, Revan pointed up, and Naruto was on the ceiling once more.

"That was the simplest ability all students of the Ninja Academy use. A Kawarimi, or Substitution Jutsu, which allows us to swap out with items, or even people if your strong enough."

Naruto smiled and dropped from the ceiling, landing on his feet. "Academy students also learn a Henge, or Transformation Jutsu." Naruto put his hands in the seal, and with a puff of smoke where Naruto stood, now was a perfect replica of Master Yoda.

"Naruto over time has come a long way. He no longer needs to say the name, and nearly all his jutsu's that require hand seals he can now do one handed, or without seals altogether." Revan said as Obi-Wan and the others were studying the Yoda-Henge.

"Fascinating." Obi-Wan said as he reached out to touch it. A puff of smoke and Naruto was back.

"The low level ones can be dispelled with a simple touch." Naruto said.

"Another skill learned at the Ninja Academy is the Bunshin, or Body-Splitting Jutsu. The academy version isn't solid, but rather an illusion. Naruto, however, has way too much chakra, and thus can't perform it." Revan formed the simple seals, whispered the name, and with a puff of smoke, three replicas were next to her.

Obi-Wan reached out, his hand passing through it before it went up in a puff of smoke.

"However, my darling husband can perform a type of Bunshin that not many can do without feeling a drain on their chakra, or personal energies."

Naruto put his hand in the cross seal position. "TAJUU, KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto roared, giving Revan a wink before the whole room was covered in smoke. As it cleared the council of Masters were shocked yet again, as were Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. The ceiling, floor and walls were covered with what looked like a thousand Naruto clones.

"And if you're impressed by this, this isn't even a fraction of the clones he can generate before he feels even remotely tired." Revan said, her mind remembering the Battle of Takigakure, when Orochimaru and Sasuke tried to steal the village's secrets. Naruto had rushed to the aid of his allies, and with just himself and Jiraiya at the time, fought off the whole of the Sound's Invasion.

One clone giggled when Obi-Wan poked it, and it slapped his hand. "Quit it, that tickles."

"They're solid!" Obi-Wan said surprised, even after witnessing them against Revan earlier.

"Okay dear, put your clones away." She said and they watched as Naruto dispelled them in groups of ten.

"Why not all at once?" Obi-Wan asked after watching this for a bit.

"The downside is that you remember what the clone does. Naruto learned the hard way about information overload when he dispelled five hundred clones all at once, and spent a week in a coma. Granted when he woke up, he had the whole Konoha library in his head, but he also had the headache to go with it."

The original Naruto snorted. "Tsunade-baachan told me if it had been anyone else, they either would have never woken up from that coma, or woken up dead of a brain aneurysm."

Obi-Wan looked at Qui-Gon and mouthed "Woken up dead?" Qui-Gon had a smile on his face and leaned in close to his Padawan. "Turn of phrase, my Padawan. I've heard some similar phrases on the lower sections of Coruscant or Outer Rim worlds."

"I can do a max of ten clones, but I feel quite tired afterwards." Revan told the masters. "And that was with nearly forty years of training my own chakra reserves on my belt."

"Is there anything else?" One of the masters asked.

Naruto shrugged. "A lot of my jutsu are combat related, and even more of them are on the destructive side. That, and Rev's forbidden me from doing them indoors."

"And with good reason, baka. You flooded the lower levels of the Hokage tower when you used that Suiton Jutsu to clean your office."

Naruto chuckled. "Ah, but Ibiki said it's the cleanest the interrogation rooms have ever been since that little incident."

Revan growled. "You and Ibiki…I told Tsunade that was a bad idea to allow you two to work together on anything."

"But I was the Hokage!"

"And yet, you acted like you were-"

A cough brought them out of their verbal sparring.

"Sorry, Master Yoda." She shot her husband a look. "_We WILL talk about that later."_

Naruto just sighed. " _Damnit, __I just can't win."_

"Familiarize yourself with the Temple layout, you should. Ask Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan for assistance, if need be."

Revan nodded. "And we need access to my vault. Naruto needs a lightsaber of his own."

"Too old-" One of the Masters began, before Revan shot him a look. "I wasn't asking, I was merely informing." She shot Yoda a look and he nodded. "Welcome to using a workroom and the archives, you both are."

Yoda got the others to leave as Naruto was standing, his fingers laced behind his head.

"Any place decent to eat that doesn't have goop?" He asked Obi-Wan, and Revan laughed.

"I swear, you and Choji must be related." She finally said after stopping chuckling.

"Could be…" Naruto started, then finished with a shrug before looking at his wife. "They don't have ramen."

Revan smiled. "I'm sure we can find something close." She said before looking at the Master and Padawan before her. "Gentlemen, lead the way."

_**Got another chapter done, and I'm starting to have a headache. Been staring at a bright screen for 3 hrs. and have done something fierce to my eyes. The story seems to be panning out quite well, and I hope you guys enjoy it. Once again, I own nothing, so I expect people to understand that. Hopefully, this goes over well with you, and you like the story. I do put a lot of effort into coming up with different ways to go about this, while staying true to cannon AND ESM's story. On a side note, talking like Yoda for an extended period of time is HARD!**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Getting to Know a Jedi**

**Dex's Diner, located in the lower levels of Coruscant...**

"How often do you come here?" Revan asked Obi-Wan, who shot his master a look.

"More than I was supposed to, to be honest." Obi-Wan confesses with a shrug and a sheepish look at Qui-Gon. He simply smiled back. "I knew when you snuck out." He confided, and Obi-Wan sighed, figuring his one act of defiance hadn't really mattered in the end.

"I...like the Jawa-Juice." He admitted.

Naruto and Dex got along very well together, and after Naruto described ramen to the Besalisk, Dex was able to easily come up with some suitable substitutes. Soon, the Jedi were watching as Naruto inhaled the noodles at an inhuman pace, making the Master/Padawan duo turn a light shade of green simply watching the display.

Revan shook her head and laughed as he chalked up another bowl, laughing even more as Qui-Gon checked his wallet. He was counting and recounting his credits with each empty bowl that was added to the stack.

"You know, you're going to regret offering to buy him lunch." she said, sipping her beverage quietly.

Qui-Gon watched in near distress as yet another bowl was brought by the robo-waitress.

"By the Force...How much can he eat?" the master asked, his eyes following Naruto's movements, which seemed like a blur.

"Well…" she looked at Naruto, contemplating how to drop the bomb on the unsuspecting Jedi. "Anywhere from fifteen bowls to fifty-"

"Fifty!" Obi-Wan said in shock. Qui-Gon simply paled considerably, before pounding his head against the table. _"If this keeps up, I'll be broke by the time he finishes. What cruel entity decided I deserved such a punishment?"_

Revan shrugged. "The amount of energy he uses, combined with his insane stamina and his high metabolism, gives him such an appetite." She smiled. "The few times I made us a picnic lunch, I usually started early in the morning to get it all ready by lunch, but then he would show manners. In the end, however, he ate a good 90% of the food I made, and it was usually enough to feed a small army."

Naruto looked up with a mouthful of noodles, and quirked an eyebrow at her. Revan laughed. "Don't give me that look, Naru-kun. You are a glutton when it comes to ramen. I remember Iruka crying about your promotion to Chunin. He had to take three B-ranked missions to cover that bill."

Naruto swallowed his last bite and looked at her. "Funny how you have yet to mention your near-criminal record in regards to pocky."

She smiled. "I'm your wife, I'm allowed to pick on you, and as a loving and devoted husband, your not supposed to mention my imperfections under penalty of death."

Naruto shrugged. He looked at the stack of empty bowls, numbering around 30 so far, then at Revan. "Um…"

She shook her head, and he sighed. "Fine. But we can come back…right?"

Revan laughed before looking at Qui-Gon. "I'll cover this. You weren't prepared for the black hole that's his stomach."

He nodded, breathing a sigh of relief as she went to pay for the lunch.

Obi-Wan watched as Naruto stood and stretched. "Ah, that was good. So, other than that room, is there somewhere we can exercise that they won't mind getting a bit thrashed?"

"Exercise?" Obi-Wan said in surprise. "How can you even move after eating all that?"

Naruto smiled, and waved it off. "That was nothing."

Revan looked at Qui-Gon, "So, how do you wish to go about this?"

The master shrugged. "We take things as they come?"

Revan smiled. "Yep, I think we're going to get along fine. However, I was referring to the tour. Coruscant has changed quite a surprising amount in four thousand years. Some landmarks are the same, but…" she looked at the skyline, completely filled with cruisers and speeders.

"Come, I think we'll start with the need to know places, and work our way from there." He said, turning and stopping upon seeing his Padawan in a headlock, and Naruto running his knuckles over his skull furiously.

"SAY IT! SAY IT, YOU HEATHEN BASTARD, OR I'LL RIP IT OUT BY THE ROOTS!"

"NARUTO!" Revan yelled, and the blond stopped mid-torture. "But Rev, he insulted ramen, and then-"

"I did not! I just said eating all those noodles can't be healthy!" Obi-Wan protested.

"SEE! UTTER BLASPHEMY! REPENT FOR YOUR SINS, HEATHEN SPAWN!"

Revan sighed as Naruto went back to digging his fist into Obi-Wan's head, the latter flailing in distress. "My husband is such a man-child at times." She muttered, and with the Force separated Naruto from Obi-Wan. "Sorry gentlemen, he gets energetic after eating so much…and sleeping…and…alright, he's a stamina freak, but that's one of his good qualities."

Revan smiled as her man hung in the air upside down scratching the back of his head. "You going to put me down nicely, or will I need to show you what my lunch looks like a second time?" the blond asked and Revan scowled.

"You puke on me and I swear I'll use your guts to paint the temple."

Naruto laughed as she finally released him, the two Jedi and the patrons watching the strange pair.

Naruto looked at Dexter. "I'll be back for more…that was awesome food."

Dex smiled. "Always welcome you'll be, my lad. Any friend of Obi-Wan's is a good friend of mine."

The said Padawan rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Dex-"

The Besalisk waved him off. "You saved my hide. Besides, they're good people, keep close to them." He said patting the Padawan on the shoulder and giving Qui-Gon a nod before heading back into the kitchen.

XX

"I don't mean to be a bother but...is that natural?" Obi-Wan asked as they saw Naruto atop a building.

"Back on his world, Naruto would find the highest point and watch the sunset when something bothered him. This is the first time he's ever been off his homeworld. He's confused, and worried." Revan said.

They had wandered the city, and Revan would point out some things that were similar, making offhand comments about some of the differences she saw, such as a building that used to be a flat, or a bar that used to be an apartment, but had been demolished, paved over, and built upon. She saw species she remembered, and others that she had never seen before.

She saw Naruto, his inquisitive eyes taking in things, and then he would see a being or a building that would cause him to remember his friends and family back home, and become melancholy or withdrawn. She sighed. "_He will outlive them all. He's not even hit his first millennium."_

It was nearing sundown, during which Naruto had leapt from building to building, climbing higher and higher. Revan and the Jedi followed in a speeder and were now hovering off to the side. Revan could feel his pain and conflict. He had the door closed and she knew he didn't want to talk. He'd been like that after Jiraiya's passing.

Qui-Gon touched her elbow. She turned and gave him a smile. "He's mourning. He knows he'll never see his friends, his precious people again. We left his world for the last time, and he was unconscious for the whole thing."

"He never got the chance to say goodbye, and it's tearing him apart inside. Also, I never told him…that it took at least a year, if not longer to reach Coruscant from the Unknown Regions with micro jumps to lightspeed…"

She looked at the sun as it kissed the horizon. "I spent time in meditative trances and working on keeping the ship in motion."

"Why didn't you stop at any of the worlds between here and there then?" Obi-Wan asked.

Revan smiled. "Fear. I was afraid what I would find. Afraid that the Jedi would be no more. Afraid that I was rushing my one reason in the galaxy on a wild goose chase. I thought that, even should the Jedi be wiped from the face of the galaxy, the archives would survive, and remain intact." She looked at Qui-Gon. "Coruscant was brought to its knees when I was a child. Structures leveled to the ground, entire populaces wiped out, but with the vaults and the archives built into the planet's very core, the only way for things to be destroyed fully would be to blow up the planet. I knew that even if the Jedi were gone, the holocrons would be here, and still intact, for the most part."

Qui-Gon Jinn looked at Revan. "You would have spent years in study to find a cure if the healers hadn't been here." He said. Revan nodded.

Shaking her head, she watched as Naruto tilted his head as the wind whipped about him.

"He is my rock, my strength. I'd been alone for so long...then I met him. He was loud, obnoxious, and his presence sang in the Force so loudly…it was like being cradled in love and warmth. If I had not met him...I would still be lost. Master Qui-Gon..." she turned to face him. "In all reality, he saved my life, and redeemed my soul. If nothing else, the least I can do...is be by his side." She smiled as Naruto turned towards them, smiling back at her before heading towards their speeder.

XX

Revan smiled as they sat in the workroom. Obi-wan and Qui-Gon had gone off to work on saber forms. Revan watched as Naruto constructed his lightsaber.

"Not going with the double bladed?" she asked noticing the handle.

Naruto shook his head. "I like it, and it has a nice feel to it, but no, not right now. I may make one in the future, though. I kind of like having a free hand for jutsu." he said as he connected wires.

"You picked out your lens and crystals?" Revan asked staying by the wall.

"Yeah. Obi-Wan was surprised when I pulled out that pearl." Naruto said, he was biting his lip as he worked, slowly putting the inside components together. Revan refused to let him use any pre-assembled parts of any kind.

"I got that pearl four thousand years ago when I helped kill a Krayt Dragon on Tattooine. I never felt right using it."

Naruto thought about using Tsunade's necklace, but he couldn't part with it, the comfortable weight around his neck a reminder of his past, and what he would fight for. Friends, family, loved ones. The things he lived for.

"I'm surprised you didn't use that orange crystal." Revan teased.

"Hmph, very funny." Was Naruto's response as he finished the controls and slipped it into the cylinder before grabbing a lens, an emitter, and a smaller stone that Revan had told him was the power source to the whole shebang.

"Trust me, you won't have the problem of it running out of power or shorting out at a bad time." she said.

The slender green stone reminded Naruto of the one around his neck. "They are Solarian shards." Revan admitted. "My people would use them to power everything from vehicles, to droids, small appliances, even power generators, if the crystal was large enough."

Naruto turned to his wife. "You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "You?"

Naruto said nothing, merely nodding before wrapping her in a tight hug. He did what he always did when his wife got like this, he held her, and supported her. She rarely talked about her home world, like he avoided his early years before he became a ninja.

"Are you avoiding finishing your lightsaber love?" Revan asked after nearly ten minutes of being held in the arms of the man she loved.

Naruto chuckled, looking into her eyes mischievously. "I just remember a story you once shared with me. It all starts with a young, naïve Jedi, who tried building a lightsaber, and accidentally swapped the focusing crystals with the power crystals-"

Revan growled. "Naruto..."

Naruto grinned, continuing his story. "Then, when she unwittingly activates the ticking time-bomb she called a saber, the whole thing, which I believe took her a week to gather the parts, and took her another week to build, blew up in her face, singing her hand, and burning off her eyebrows. If I recall correctly, it took you-er, I mean her, a grand total of a month and a half to grow them back."

Revan pinched his cheek, causing him to yelp in pain. "OW OW OW OW OW! OI, LET GO OF MY FACE!"

Revan grinned wickedly, tugging on his sensitive whiskers. "What did I say about leaving my flaws unknown and unspoken?"

Despite his watering eyes, Naruto grinned. "That only applies when people who aren't married to you are present."

Revan let his cheek go, patting it lightly before kissing him lightly. "You're lucky you're so cute."

Naruto chuckled, turning back to the workbench. "Cradle-robbing wench."

She grabbed his face and kissed him again. "Go ahead and finish it, then we'll go to bed."

"I'm not tired, though." Naruto commented.

"Who said anything about sleep?" Revan said, slipping from her lover's arms and fading into the shadows. "Now, back to work."

Naruto sighed. "She always does that to me, winds me up and slips away."

Her laughter from the shadows told Naruto what he already knew, that his wife did it on purpose, and enjoyed teasing him beyond description.

"_Of course, the love making afterwards is beyond description, as well." _He thought as he sat back down at the bench, the grin never leaving his face. His fingers worked quickly and nimbly, slipping components together, attaching and soldiering wires as if he'd built a lightsaber a hundred times over.

From her shadowed view in the far corner of the room, Revan smiled, watching raptly as her husband worked tirelessly on his new weapon. "_He never ceases to amaze me. Just when I have the enigma that is Namikaze Naruto figured out, he goes and pulls a fast one on me, leaving me standing there blinking. He's __Force-sensitive beyond measure, his senses are the best I've ever encountered, par none. He might not have many Force powers, but the ones he can use, such as Force Speed and Force Sense, put some of the most experienced Masters to shame."_

She watched with a grin on her own face that matched her husbands. "_Better have water nearby. Last time...well, let's just say we were both dehydrated when we finished, and I couldn't walk straight for a week. Totally worth it, though, despite Kiba's constant snickering."_

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled as he entered the training dojo that morning, a pop in his step and a glow about his aura many found intriguing. They also happened to noticed the face-splitting grin he was wearing. He wasn't paying attention, however. In his hand was his newly constructed lightsaber.<p>

It wasn't the completion of the weapon that had the smile on his face, though. While it was a happy moment, indeed, it wasn't the cause of the smile, nor the complete uplift in his demeanor.

He'd spent the rest of the night and early morning making love to his wife. Well, maybe making love wasn't the correct term. More like plowing her into the bed after a year+ of celibacy while she spurred him on with her dirty talk and clenching thighs was more accurate. The fact she was having issues rising from their bed was only icing on the cake.

"_I did good." _Naruto thought with a grin after kissing her awake and leaving her to curse him for her inability to stand.

"_Walking yet, love?" _He sent thru the bond. The snarl had him, chuckle, but it was the...less than savory language, and mental pictures of what she was going to do to him (and the pain that would follow) that had him laughing outright. He stopped seeing Obi-Wan sitting on one of the meditation mats, one eye open and staring at him, eyebrow raised .

"Hey, how's it goin', Obi-Wan?" Naruto greeted, dropping down into his own lotus position, hands on his knees.

Obi-wan looked at him. "Good morning, Naruto. You look exceptionally happy today."

Naruto smiled even more. "Let's just say that I...had a good night."

Obi-wan chuckled, before noticing the lightsaber on the mat between them. "You finished it already?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Rev's a slave driver when it comes to things like this."

"But...wait...you were building it from scratch, with no pre-manufactured parts, correct?" Obi-wan asked, which he then received a nod from Naruto. "Have you activated it?"

"Once. I was going to come here and test it out, but she turns on smoothly."

"She?" Obi-wan asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Naruto laughed. "Bad habit from my world. Weapons were given names, or even personal identifying marks."

Obi-wan looked over at Naruto, who saw the unspoken request. He nodded, and watched as the brunette picked up the hilt, looking it over in abject curiosity.

"What are these runes, or markings here?" Obi-wan asked, noticing the kanji that were carved around the grip.

"This one running down the side says, 'The Will of Fire'. It's a phrase that my very first precious person believed in. He taught me, and many others of my generation, as well as the generations before me about this belief, that as long as the fire, the very will of the shinobi was intact, in even just one person, that my home, Konohagakure no Sato, would never fall, and would never die." Naruto said, his mind flashing to Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, as well as his very first precious person. "He was the leader of my village, known as The Professor, the God of Shinobi, and the Sandaime Hokage. He was the first person to ever care about me, the first person to acknowledge my existence, and one of the first of my precious people that I lost, so long ago..."

Obi-wan felt the flash of pain through the Force. The strength of it was staggering, and had some of the Jedi in the room give pause. However, the sensation disappeared as quickly as it came, so they dismissed it, and continued training. Obi-Wan felt terrible about dredging up old and painful memories, and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder "I...I'm sorry, I...never meant to-"

Naruto waved off the apology, a sad smile replacing his frown. "Nothing to be sorry for. He lived a long life, and he died protecting the village he loved, protecting the people he cared for, and for the future generations that were to come."

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. Deciding a change in topic was in order, he pointed to another set of kanji carved by the ignition switch of the blade."If you don't mind me continuing, what is this one?"

Naruto looked at the next set of lines, another melancholy grin adorning his features. "My personal nindo, my way of the ninja. It means 'To Never Give Up'."

Leaning back on his hands, Naruto stared at the ceiling, memories flashing in his crystal blue eyes. "All my life, I'd followed that mantra: Never give up, never give up, never give up. I kept telling myself that, if I continued to fight, to work and become stronger, that everyone would acknowledge me, and I would finally be freed from the loneliness I'd had all my life."

Naruto pointed to another set of kanji near the end of the hilt, where the blade of energy would spring forth. "That one right there means, "To Protect Those Precious To Me." A friend of mine taught me this lesson on my very first mission outside of my village. This friend had grown up under...unfavorable circumstances, and had only the desire to protect the one person she called friend."

Naruto continued, Obi-Wan's attention riveted to his companion's story. "Haku...that was her name, by the way...she..she taught me that those people that you consider friends, those that you consider precious, and those that you hold dear...are the most important people you will ever have in your life, and that you should be willing to do whatever it takes to protect them...to keep them safe. Because no one can bear to be alone..." He looked back at Obi-Wan, then at the saber. "...No one should, either."

Obi-wan was floored, completely and utterly amazed at the amount of attention, detail, effort, and dedication that had been put into the weapon in his hands. "...And this one?"

Naruto blushed. "That one... that one is personal, and I won't translate it."

"_Looks like Rev added something as well." _the blond thought, seeing the runes engraved near the clasp of the hilt, where he would connect it to his belt. '_To my beloved Naru-kun. The Force binds us forever, and will never let us be apart. I will always love you, Rev'._

Obi-wan looked at the strange seal at the bottom of the lightsaber. "What's this?"

"Ah, that is a seal to prevent it from being damaged."

"Really? That's not possible…is it?" Obi-wan asked.

Naruto nodded. "I've got the perfect way to test it, and make sure that my Fuinjutsu is up to snuff. Try to cut it in half."

Obi-Wan blinked, "I'm sorry, I think I just misheard you, I could've sworn you asked me to-"

Naruto nodded. "Try and cut it in half. Yes, I did ask you to do that. Go ahead and do it."

"I couldn't…if I destroyed it-"

"Then its back to the drawing board." Naruto said, motioning for him to go ahead and do it.

Obi-wan stood, and picked up his own lightsaber that was next to him. It activated with a _SNAP-HISS _and the blue blade hummed as it came to life.

"Go ahead, Ben." Naruto said and Obi-wan paused.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked.

"What do you mean 'what'?" Naruto asked.

"You called me Ben." The Padawan pointed out.

"Heh…" Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Uh...new nickname?"

The Padawan sighed, shaking his head. Naruto held out the hilt, and Obi-Wan lightly touched the hilt with his blade. He raised an eyebrow when nothing happened. He put more pressure and still nothing.

"Ben, I said to try and cut it, not play footsie with it using your saber." Naruto deadpanned.

Obi-Wan frowned, glaring at Naruto, before bringing his blade over his head, and crashing it down onto the hilt of the other. The energy blade recoiled as if it had been struck, knocking Obi-Wan back several steps. Deactivating his lightsaber, he went over and gently grasped the hilt.

"Its still cool to the touch, and there's not a single mark on it. It worked...it really worked." He said in surprise.

"Damn right it did. My father was a Fuinjutsu specialist, after all. I figured I'd inherit some of his awesomeness, but I impress even myself, at times." Naruto said as he tossed it back and forth in his hands. Obi-Wan merely deadpanned at the blonde's total arrogance when it came to Fuinjutsu.

Smiling, Naruto thumbed the activation switch. The green-white blade sprang to life with a SNAP-HISS, Naruto smiling as the blade hummed. He stepped away from Obi-wan and gave it several practice swings, going through several basic moves before nodding in satisfaction and deactivating it.

Obi-wan nearly had a heart attack when Naruto's saber unexpectedly went up in a cloud of smoke, the Padawan diving to the floor and covering his head. Naruto blinked, watching his new friend make a complete fool out of himself, before snorting, then laughing outright Obi-Wan looked up from underneath his impromptu shelter at the blonde.

"What in the hell was that? Did it explode?" the Padawan asked. Naruto sweat-dropped. "I'm fine, Ben. Thanks for asking. As to what happened I put a storage seal on my wristband." Naruto showed him the piece of cloth wrapped around his wrist, the storage seal on it standing out prominently. "This way, it can't be taken away, or lost when I'm fighting. I plan on making multiple storage seals later, for some of the more useful things that I may need in the future, such as rations and supplies, but I wanted to make sure everything else was working fine first."

Obi-Wan got up from his fetal position on the floor, walking over to Naruto before slapping him on the back of the head.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK, BEN?"

Obi-Wan merely stared at him. "**Next time**, warn me before doing something like that. I nearly had a heart attack, and I can guarantee that shaved AT LEAST 3 years off my life span.

Naruto scoffed. "Not my fault you run like a pansy every time-" **SLAP** "DAMNIT, BEN, CUT THAT SHIT OUT!"

Obi-Wan merely decided to change the topic."So, you can store things on you like that?" Obi-wan asked.

Naruto grumbled, rubbing the back of his head before running his hand across another storage seal. In a second, three shuriken appeared in his hand, the throwing stars gleaming in the artificial light.

Naruto showed them to Obi-Wan, who peered at them curiously. "Oh yeah. I learned how to do this on my training trip with Ero-Sannin. One of the many things he taught me, actually."

Obi-Wan didn't understand the mechanisms behind all of it, but Naruto was proud of his accomplishments, and it was an impressive display. To be able to materialize your weapon out of thin air was no small feat. "I can make you one if you want." Naruto offered, snapping Obi-wan out of his reverie. He looked at him in surprise.

"Wait. Don't I need, um…blast, what was it you and Master Revan called it...Cha...Sha...Shakra?"

Naruto chuckled. "Chakra. And everyone has chakra. Even a friend of mine had it, he just couldn't use it for much as his chakra paths were too under-developed to allow major chakra usage. But he could still use sealing scrolls, and he could still tree climb, make chakra-enhanced leaps, and even use a small amount of chakra when he performed his taijutsu."

Naruto missed Bushy Brows. The taijutsu master had been Naruto's friend when younger (however crazy his eyebrows were) and had been his personal bodyguard when he became Hokage. Lee had passed on in his sleep after contacting an unknown disease that atrophied his muscles, finally stopping his heart in the process. "_Lee had a good life, though. He was able to live up to his full potential, even without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and he made Gai so proud. When Lee made Jounin, Gai cried like a little girl, hugged him until his back nearly gave, and took him out for a night on the town. In retrospect, however, that probably wasn't a good idea."_

Naruto grimaced as he recalled the following morning. Seems Gai, in full "Youthful Celebration Mode" had completely forgotten that Lee couldn't hold his liquor. They had hit several restaurants, with the whole of the Rookie 11 in tow, and had a really nice time. It wasn't until they hit the very first bar, and Gai managed to force an entire bottle of sake down Lee's throat, that things took an unexpected, unprecedented, and...unfortunate turn.

While Lee may be able to take a charging bull to the groin, and come away from it completely unfazed, when alcohol was involved, shit hit the fan, and quick to boot. Naruto had been chatting with Kiba and Shikamaru when he noticed Lee being force-fed sake, and had managed to beat a hasty retreat about 30 seconds before the world exploded.

Naruto may have been cowardly in regards to dealing with a drunk Lee, but after the last time, which resulted in him having 5 broken ribs, a broken nose, a black eye, two missing teeth, a dislocated shoulder, a busted kneecap, a broken left arm and broken right wrist, a sprained ankle, an impacted spleen, a busted kidney, a swollen liver, and a severe concussion by the nights end, he was not about to spend the next two weeks in the hospital because his idiot of a sensei decided that a drunk Lee was a fun Lee, and a fun Lee was a happy Lee.

Needless to say, the bar, nay, the entire city block that the bar sat on, was revealed the following day to be the equivalent of a downtown Detroit parking lot. Long story short, Lee had decided to hit on Ino, who was also plastered beyond reason, and she had shot him down ruthlessly. His heart "broken", Lee went about venting his frustration in the only way his drunken self remembered how: By breaking shit.

After 6 tables, 11 chairs, 15 beer bottles, 7 shot glasses, the pool table, the radio, the jukebox, AND the barkeep's personal stash of foreign liquor were completely annihilated, Lee took it upon himself to let the neighboring area know of his plight.

By morning, Kiba, Shikamaru, Gai, Kakashi, Chouji, and 15 Anbu Black Op members were in the hospital. The entire city block had been leveled, and Lee was passed out in the street with his pants down, his boxers with the word, "YOUTH!" on them displayed for the whole world (or at least the cleaning crew) to see. Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Shino, Sai, and Kurenai were relatively unscathed, except for Sai having a broken arm, Shino having to buy a new pair of sunglasses, and the women with bumps and bruises (apparently, Lee is still a gentleman even stone cold drunk).

After this little fiasco-_scratch that_. After this **GIANT CLUSTERFUCK** that cost the village nearly 10 million ryo, and put nearly a quarter of the Anbu on the injured list, as well as the Rookie 11 casualties, Tsunade passed a law forbidding Lee to ever consume alcohol in, around, or near the village of Konohagakure. Anyone who gave him said substance was to be flogged repeatedly for 24 hours. That pretty much cleared things up in regards to Lee's drinking...at least, in Konoha. Naruto didn't even want to think about the incident in Mizu. The Godaime Mizukage was reportedly still cleaning up the mess after that one.

Snapping out of his little flashback, Naruto nodded to Obi-Wan. "Besides Ben, once I place the seal tattoo on your wrist, you won't need to worry about a thing. The seal will meld with your natural chakra circulatory system, and all you will have to do is focus, and _voila_!"

"Okay, seriously, why the nickname? And why'd you choose Ben, of all things?" Obi-wan asked.

Before he could respond, laughter had both men turn around. Naruto smiled seeing Revan standing there, her hair down and a brush in her hand.

"Morning love." He said, waiting until she sauntered up to him before kissing her cheek. "What do you need?"

"My hair. You remember the deal." She said, and Naruto nodded. He walked her to the seats, and as she knelt, he sat behind her and took the brush. Obi-wan watched the pair as Naruto started brushing his wife's hair.

Revan saw him watching and smiled. "We have a deal. I was going to cut it shorter, but he likes running his hands through it. So I agreed to leave it under the condition that if I kept it long, then he would have to help with its' upkeep."

Naruto continued running the brush through her hair and smiled. "It's relaxing as well, although for whom it is more relaxing we've yet to decide."

Revan smiled, and Obi-wan would bet his lightsaber that if she were a cat, she would be purring without a doubt.

"As far as his nicknaming you Ben...it's a simple matter, really. You know how he calls me Rev, right?" The Jedi Master asked, getting a nod from Obi-Wan.

"Rev is just one of the many things I call you, hon." Naruto teased.

"Shut up and brush, _dear_." Revan growled back. Obi-Wan merely shook his head in amusement.

"Now where was I? Oh yes, Naruto gives nicknames to people he likes and/or trusts. As for Ben…"

"I took the "B" from "Obi" and the 'en' sound from "Wan", then put them together, and thus you've been christened Ben." Naruto said with his trademark grin.

"Ignore the man-child behind me, I doubt he'll ever grow up." said Revan smirking.

Naruto pinched the back of her neck. "That's not what you were saying last night, or even this morning, for that matter."

Obi-wan was treated to the sight of Revan lighting up like a landing beacon, his own blush not that far behind.

"Tsunade's right. You are a brat." Revan said.

"Yeah, well baa-chan was a drunk. I might be a brat, but I caught your attention, didn't I, oh Great and Powerful Jedi?"

Revan merely blushed deeper and nodded, letting him resume his ministrations on her hair.

The three sat in silence as Naruto brushed out her hair, and then began to put it into a braid.

"Wait...there's something different about your hair…wasn't it shorter yesterday?" Obi-wan asked.

Revan laughed. "Astute observation, Padawan. Actually, I used a ninjutsu to shorten it. I learned it from Tsunade and her apprentice Shizune. But when its me and Naruto I remove it and allow it to be its real length."

Obi-wan noticed that her hair now went down to the middle of her back. He watched as Naruto continued to braid it with a practiced ease.

"To be honest, Ben, I find this to be a relaxing task." Naruto said, answering his questioning look. "It allows me to just be...well, me."

Revan smiled. "He loses himself in the Force when he does this. Like when he was making his lightsaber, or when he's making seals." She looked at Obi-wan. "Let him make you a storage seal. I overheard that part of your conversation, and I believe it would be a very good idea. If you can, make a secondary lightsaber to keep there. You can never be too careful, right?"

She held up her arm, and Obi-wan saw the seal that Naruto had on his wristband was on the back of her wrist, it wasn't even an inch in diameter.

A small cloud of smoke later, and Revan had her lightsaber in her hand. "They can't take away what they can't grab." She said and tossed it aside, before propelling it away with a Force Push. Obi-wan watched as it sailed across the room, only to vanish in a puff of smoke. Another poof, and it was back in her hand. "Prevents another Force user from using the Force to block your attempts to retrieve it, and it makes it nearly impossible for you to lose it."

"Good advice, Master Revan."

The three turned to see Qui-Gon approaching, arms folded into his robes. "Glad I found you Master Revan. The Council has just asked us to make a run to Nar Shadda. Obi-wan and Naruto can come with, or stay here-"

"Stay here." Revan said, a hard note in her voice.

Naruto looked at her quizzically, and she sighed. "Nar Shadda is not a place I want to expose you to. It'll make that dive back in Rice Country look like a 5-star resort."

"Love, you don't need to protect me." Naruto said as he continued to braid her hair. He looked up at Qui-Gon, "You want me to do yours next?" he asked, seeing the man's messy ponytail.

Qui-Gon blinked, before chuckling. "No, thank you. Mine is just fine the way it is."

Revan smiled. "My husband could have been a hair stylist."

"But Hokage was so much more fun." He quipped.

Revan sighed. "You caused enough havoc, destruction, and outright pain and suffering for the next ten Hokage that will follow you."

Naruto smirked. "I don't know. Konohamaru might actually surpass me. I did teach him some of my techniques, after all."

Revan groaned at that, palming her face in exasperation. "Damn, you're right. He did like to imitate you."

"I think that's cause his contract with the Monkeys' is better than Ojii-san's ever was."

The two Jedi watched the pair with amused looks, and Revan sighed.

"Fine, you can come. I don't want you going anywhere without me or Qui-Gon. This will more than likely be a diplomatic mission, and the last thing we need you doing is getting into a fight with some street gang, and blowing up half the planet. That would not earn us any brownie points from the locals."

"I gotcha, I gotcha...spoil sport-er, I mean what about Ben? Is he coming along on our little excursion, too? "

Revan sighed, but Qui-Gon spoke up first. "Yes. I believe it would be a good learning exercise for him, seeing as the galaxy can be pretty nasty, but it doesn't get much worse than Nar Shadda. I would prefer that you both stay close to us, seeing as how Revan and I have the most experience dealing with these sorts of things. _Peacefully_, I might add." he said upon receiving a look from Naruto. "I'm sure that you've dealt with your share of villains in the past. In fact, I'm positive you've dealt with more trials and tribulations in your life than anyone here, including Master Revan. Nar Shadda is a rough, dangerous world that has been long since corrupted and is under the direct control of the Hutts. It is, without a doubt, a hive of scum and villainy, a place that you go to in order to NOT be found. It's one of the few places in the galaxy that the Republic hesitates to even go near, so if you're looking to escape authorities, there is no better substitute." He looked at the two younger men (or young-looking in Naruto's case), then over at Revan. "We must be cautious. A misstep here could end in disaster."

_**Chapter 4 is finished, and it's just after 2 AM. Been a long day, filled with...well, stuff. Let's just say that I will be getting a good night's sleep tonight, which is something I don't get very often to begin with. Anywhozle, I just finished this part, and the next one should be getting even closer to, if not right on top of, the cannon beginning for Star Wars. Hang on, we're about make the jump to hyperspace, and if you're not careful, you may end up face down with your "Youth" boxers sticking out. Btw, that particular part simply came to me, because:**_

_**1. It's so easy to pick on Gai/Lee, that it seems like it's almost criminal if I don't throw a couple of barbs their way.**_

_**They are, without a doubt, some of the creepiest mofos I've ever seen in an anime. They wear one-piece, skin tight, elastic-looking jumpsuits (which coincidentally ends up ruining my favorite color, green), have a bowl-cut/fuzzy eyebrow combo that makes you foam at the mouth in eye-popping agony, and for 'Le Piece de Resistance', they have their patented, "Unbreakable Everlasting Sunset Genjutsu of Ultimate Youthfullness" , which if stared directly at, will cause brain hemorrhaging, organ failure, and eventual death after 30 seconds. (If you can't tell I over-exaggerated the hell out of this, then you need your head examined.)**_

Regardless, I still enjoyed writing that part, and I hope you enjoyed it, too (just don't look directly at it. It will steal your soul.)

-Sgt. Assassin, signing off.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Visiting The Slums**

Naruto gazed around the freighter the council had booked them passage on. He sighed and shook his head. Despite their prestige and well-deserved reputation throughout the galaxy, the Jedi were by no means wealthy, and as such, didn't have the luxury to be able to afford the more suitable spaceships that traveled the hyperspace lanes. Considering the state of this particular ship, they may have been better off with the dilapidated pile of scrap they left in the hangar when they first arrived. He looked at Revan, who sighed from her seat next to him.

"I hate not having my own ship." She pouted, folding her arms.

"Well you have to admit, despite the way this one looks, the one we came in was in no shape to fly anymore." Naruto said patting her hand.

"Don't try to placate me dear. I'm not in the mood." She said.

Naruto looked at Obi-wan and Qui-Gon, both of whom were meditating.

"Why don't you do that? I'm sure you would lose some of the tension I can feel rolling off you in waves." he asked.

"Because I want to be tense. Tense keeps me alert, tense keeps me alive. Especially since we're going to Nar Shadda. I want to be coiled and ready to strike."

Naruto chuckled. "You sound like Anko when she's having a bad day...or when she's hung-over."

Both smiled, remembering the hyperactive snake mistress. The three of them became very close after Naruto's return, and Revan and Anko could be seen making many men jealous with their...antics. On more than one occasion, they would be seen pretending to make out heatedly just to see Jiraiya pass out from blood loss. Tsunade learned of this, and tried to be there for every instance, just to see her former teammate taught a lesson in perversion. Needless to say, she got a huge kick out of it, but Jiraiya eventually got wise to the ruse, and got revenge by...well, Naruto didn't even want to think about that last part. Jiraiya had nearly died twice before that incident, and after everything was said and done, he could chalk this one up as Number 3.

Being put in the hospital for 2 broken arms, 2 broken legs, 6 broken ribs, 2 dislocated shoulders, a broken nose, 7 missing teeth, a fractured wrist, a shattered ankle, 2 busted kneecaps, and a whole laundry list of other injuries taught Jiraiya that putting itching powder into a woman's undergarments, then peeping on the woman when she goes to wash it off may be all in good fun. When said woman, or in this case, **3 women** happen to catch you in the act, and coincidentally happen to be very proficient in both martial arts and Force manipulation, the repercussions tend to be very...painful.

"Rev." Naruto said softly. She looked into his eyes. "When we decide on children..." He whispered low so as not to draw the attention of the Jedi as they meditated, "I want our first girl to be named Anko."

Anko had been killed in battle, Sasuke ruthlessly cutting her down with his Susano'o, before burning her corpse to ashes with Ameterasu. Enraged, Naruto had gone on a Kyuubi-induced killing spree, resulting in Sasuke losing his entire team before having to retreat due to the numerous wounds that had been inflicted upon him, most of which would not stop bleeding.

Failing to kill Sasuke, Naruto turned his grief and remorse upon what little remained of Anko, wrapping her ashes in cloth before burying her on the battlefield, Revan holding an inconsolable Naruto as tears streamed down her face, feeling the utter despair that tore through him as yet another of his precious people was cut down by the one who he had once called brother and friend.

Revan smiled and squeezed his hand. "Me too." Then with a smile she asked. "What about a son?"

Naruto smiled. "Whatever you wish is fine with me. I have a few male role models, but aside from Iruka, none of them whose name I want to hear my wife yelling out in anger. The trauma would be too much to bear"

Revan chuckled. "Just because most of your male role models are perverts, ne? How about Shika?"

"Nah, the lazy bastard would be a curse to the kid. I don't want my son staring at stars instead of paying attention when he enters hyperspace coordinates, and because of that ending up imbedding a starship into a planet."

Revan cringed at the thought, chuckling. "That would be something, wouldn't it?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I've thought this through, if you haven't noticed."

Revan deadpanned. "Really? I never would have guessed...hmm...how about Zal?"

"Zal?" Naruto asked, and she watched his mind tried to fit the name with those people Revan had told him about. "After the Wookie, right?"

"Yeah, is there something wrong with that?" Revan asked.

"No, dear. I thought you would have gone with that pilot you told me about, or that old coot you always complained was several components short of a lightsaber."

"You leave my old coot out of this. You had plenty of your own, and Ero-Sennin was the youngest."

Naruto smiled at that. "Ojii-san was the best. Baa-chan too. Ero-Sannin was like that annoying uncle you liked, but didn't want to tell others about, and CERTANLY didn't want to invite to family gatherings, simply because he would constantly harass the women."

Revan smirked and nodded at that. "Why are you thinking of children now, love?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Watching the younglings with Master Yoda this morning while you were getting ready reminded me of some of my more childish friends, like Kiba, Kono, or Lee."

Revan shuddered remembering the first time she saw Lee and Gai training. "That Genjutsu of theirs...it was real! Even the Force couldn't dispel it, and believe me, I tried. As for Kiba, he's got a serious hormone problem, without a doubt. I was afraid that if I turned my back on him, he was going to try and hump my leg. Don't even get me started on Konohamaru.

Naruto smiled and kissed her temple. "Konohamaru will do just fine leading Konoha."

"Ko's the Nandaime Hokage…" Revan looked at him. "Are you okay with how we left?"

"I'm fine, Rev. Really, I am." Naruto said with another kiss to her temple. "I appeared to everyone as merely twenty years old, while everyone was old and dying. It wasn't fair to them, or anyone else." He pulled out the necklace she had given him when they started dating. Thumbing the activation switch, a holo-image of the group came to life, showing the people precious to Naruto gathered around him on his twentieth birthday. This was the last photo he'd been able to take of all of them before life intervened, slowly chipping away at his friends and family until barely anything remained.

"I have this, and I will always remember them as they were, not as they had become. Even Sasuke. I will remember him as the duck-haired emo with the stick up his ass, but loyal to a fault, and my best friend. I will miss them all, but you are my life and my soul."

Revan kissed him deeply, before they heard a cough. Turning their heads, they see Qui-Gon sitting there, eyebrows raised, and a smirk on his face. "Not in front of Obi-Wan, please."

They turned to see the Padawan passed out in his seat, a small trail of blood pouring from his nose. Revan quickly realized the reason of the poor Padawan's distress as she felt her husband grope her breast lovingly. She also realized that she had straddled him some time during their short make out session, and was continuing to grind against Naruto's growing erection.

Blushing, she slowly came to a stop. "Sorry about that." She said, an unrepentant grin plastered on her face.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "I do understand, and it's not entirely your fault. Unlike him, I was not sheltered in the temple since birth. I was young, yes, when I entered the Order, but I had been exposed to the harshness of the galaxy, so I had a better grasp on the ways of the galaxy then he did. Even with all the traveling we've been doing together since I took him as my apprentice, he's still rather...inexperienced...in some aspects of life."

Naruto's grin could not have been bigger, a whole host of delightfully evil ideas and pranks going through his head. "Really?" Revan groaned, palming her face again. She just knew poor Obi-wan was going to get razed like no Jedi before.

She poked her husband on his nose. "I better not see _THAT _jutsu, and don't play ignorant with me! You know EXACTLY which one I'm talking about!"

Naruto mock-pouted, then grinned and nodded his head. "I promise, Rev-hime. You won't see the first jutsu I ever created."

Revan shuddered, knowing Naruto was merely bluffing, and wondered if warning Obi-Wan ahead of time would help the boy.

"I don't know if I should even ask this, considering your already...questionable track record, but what jutsu?" Qui-Gon asked, rising from his position on the floor and taking a seat across from them, after casting a look at his Padawan and seeing him beginning to recover from his perversion-induced coma.

"My husband, when he was merely twelve years old and fresh out of the Academy, was experimenting with different variations of the Henge Jutsu, the Transformation Technique we showed you, when he messed up a handsign, and the resulting henge became real. Basically, he transforms into a very real female version of himself, complete with wisps of smoke barely covering her modesty, although if necessary, those can be removed as well. He will typically use it on perverts, closet-perverts, and men in general. First, he uses the tech, then, if needed, he will rub up against them suggestively, and if all else fails, he'll combine that with the Kage Bunshin to-"

Pausing mid-description, she looked over only to see that Qui-Gon's eyes had become glassy, a small trail of drool coming from his lips. Revan facepalmed again, shaking . "Damn it. Jedi and their celibacy." She muttered, finger-flicking her husband in the forehead. "I forbid that technique in the Temple."

Naruto snickered.

"I want you to solemnly swear Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!" she said.

Naruto looked her right in the eye. "I solemnly swear…that I won't use it at the Temple…when you're around." He finished, grinning, and Revan felt a shudder run up her spine.

XX

**Jedi Temple Council Chamber**

Seven Masters were gathered, discussing the normal mundane matters that fell under their jurisdiction, when they felt a tremor in the Force, one of such mischievous intent that it made the assembled Jedi shudder. "I...I just felt a _**TERRIBLE **_disturbance in the Force. Whoever the poor soul who falls victim to this feeling is, may the Force be with him or her." Mace Windu commented, getting Ki-Adi Mundi to nod in agreement.

Yoda sat there, knowing exactly what this particular distubance foretold, and knowing who was behind said feeling. Having been on the receiving end of several pranks in the past, mostly from younglings looking to tease the 'little green man', he knew this feeling all too well, and was not about to be caught in a prank of that magnitude.

"_Hmm. Take younglings on a training trip, perhaps. Yes, good idea, it is. One to be implemented immediately, it is. Safer it would be…safer than to be here when Namikaze Naruto returns, it will be." _The venerable Grand Master thought, not bothering to warn his fellow masters of what he'd learned from Revan's holocron about her time in Konoha or about Naruto and his uncontested infamy and top-dog status when it came to pranking.

"_The Force has a sense of humor, it does. Likes to toy with us poor Jedi, it seems." _Chuckling to himself, Yoda didn't mind the looks from the other masters, who were wondering what the oldest amongst them (besides Naruto and Revan) was laughing to himself about.

XX

**Nar Shadda**

The three Jedi and one Ninja left the spaceport. Naruto wrinkled his nose and looked at his wife. "I'm going to be honest with you: It stinks."

She nodded, and knew that for him, with his heightened sense of smell, the smuggler's moon had to be as bad as the sewers of some of the larger towns they'd traveled through before his time as Hokage, back on his home planet.

"Breath through your mouth and out your nose...and for Kami's sake, don't talk to anyone. Most of the inhabitants here would rather stab you in the back than give you the time of day."

Naruto nodded, before punching a thug that was sneaking up behind the four, dropping him like a rock without breaking stride.

"Why isn't the Republic doing something about this? Hell, even the Jedi would be hard-pressed to leave this shithole alone." he asked.

Revan sighed. "Nar Shadda has been like this since the Hutts took control of the planet Evocii, enslaving the populace and terraforming the planet to suit their needs millenia ago. You can't force change on those who don't like the status quo." Revan said, as she and Naruto followed Qui-Gon and Obi-wan.

"So, see anything similar?" Naruto asked his wife, his hand staying near the kunai holster on his waist, while his other hand he kept free to summon his lightsaber in a moments notice.

"Well a lot of the buildings have been replaced over time, but south of here is the refugee sector. There's the docks, the Jek Jek Tar, an alien bar that you best avoid, as its filled with gases that will eat your lungs out without a spacesuit."

Naruto nodded.

"To the north, we have several ship mechanics on various levels, bars, pazaak dens, swoop arenas…" she paused. "Qui-Gon?"

"Yes?" the other master said looking over his shoulder as he'd been talking with Obi-wan.

"They still have swoop racing, right?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, no. It's been replaced by pod racing. They use powerful turbine engines to pull a pod now. Much more clumsy, and twice as dangerous as swoop racing" He answered, shaking his head in disdain. "They hold them all over the galaxy now, and as long as you have a license to hold them, these races are perfectly legal. I saw one out in the Outer Rim not to long ago. Out of the typical 15 racers that enter, no more than 3 or 4 typically make it out alive. Really distasteful stuff, if you ask me."

Revan sighed. "That's a shame. I liked swoop racing. Perhaps I can get a swoop bike one of these days, and take you out on it." She said to Naruto as they passed several buildings. "Oh look, the Bounty Hunter's Guild." Revan said with distaste. "More often than not they have been paid to hunt and kill Jedi due to some crime boss with too big an ego, and too many credits."

Naruto looked around and pointed "What's that?"

Revan looked and scowled. "Something you'll avoid if you want to keep a happy marriage." She growled.

Naruto blinked. "Say what?"

"Where did Jiraiya want to take you for his 'research', while conspicuously leaving behind the only female on the entire trip in the hotel room?" Revan questioned her husband. She knew he wasn't dumb, but he usually blocked useless memories that would need prompting to renew.

He blinked, cocking his head to the side as he thought back, before his eyes widened, and he shook his head. "I love my wife, and will never need a place like that." Naruto said, but his sincerity was ruined with a grin, as he leaned in and whispered to her. "But maybe I can send Ben in there?"

Revan groaned. "No." She hissed. "You will not corrupt such a youngling."

"He's got to be nearly twenty, love. Let the poor guy live a little." Naruto said. He looked ahead, and saw the Jedi were entering what he assumed was a cantina. "I think we fell behind."

Revan looked and nodded. "Our contact is to meet us in there. Now, you have the credits I gave you?" she asked, and Naruto nodded.

"_I swear, she does this every time we go somewhere. Like I'm a little kid who needs reminding. I tell you, forget your wife's wallet in a bar one time, and they never let you forget." _The blond thought, but kept his mental link closed, knowing from past experience that if she heard that he would have a lot of groveling to do.

"And remember, you and Obi-wan are to watch out for one another. No stupid crap while I'm gone, either."

"Yes dear." Naruto grumbled, as she adjusted his jumpsuit. He was willing to part with his old jumpsuit, and get another from this galaxy, but he would sooner gnaw off his own foot than wear those Jedi robes. So he compromised, and was now wearing a navy blue two-piece standard pilot's off-duty jumpsuit, the outfit not quite as striking as his previous one, but less of an eyesore to his wife, so he'd live.

"And remember, many beings use blasters, and won't hesitate to shoot to kill for the stupidest mistakes." Revan continued, as Obi-wan came back out and headed towards them.

"Gee, can I go out and play now mommy?" Naruto asked his wife, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "I'll be fine Rev. I was Hokage, after all, and I am more than capable of protecting myself."

Revan ignored him as she looked at Obi-wan. "You have your comlink?" she asked the Padawan, who nodded.

Revan kissed Naruto on the cheek. "Have fun boys, see you both in two hours." She said and walked away.

Naruto shook his head. "Ben, if you ever get married, or get into a relationship of any sort, remember these simple rules: They are always right, and agree to everything they say until they are out of sight, then do what you were planning to do anyways." Naruto said, throwing an arm around the younger man's shoulder. "Now, Revan mentioned once there were places where I-er, I mean we, could get a good fight around here…perchance you happen to know where they would be?"

XX

_**Several hours later, back at the cantina...**_

Qui-Gon and Revan watched their contact leave, the latter barely hiding her contempt at the lack of information they were able to obtain.

"That was a giant waste of time." Revan said with a hint of disgust. The other Master sighed, nodding in agreement.

"All we learned is that someone is somewhere planning something near the border rings between the Mid Rim and the Outer Rim."

Revan snorted. "The Outer Rim is always a hotbed for galactic events, whether they be legal or illegal, and they usually are illegal, so that doesn't help us much in regards to narrowing it down. Glad to see some things, however unpleasant, haven't changed."

Qui-Gon sipped his mineral water. "I wonder what my Padawan and your husband have gotten up to."

Revan shrugged. Curious herself, she tried contacting him via their mental link.

"_Love? What you doing?"_

Nothing came back. Revan tried several more times, before she felt something across the bond…she hadn't felt that since…

Her eyes snapped open. "I'm going to kill him." she growled, rising and heading for the door, Qui-Gon several steps behind. She stopped as her eyes focused on the wall screen, her teeth clenched about as tightly as her fists. "I told him no stupid shit! I SPECIFICALLY TOLD HIM NO STUPID SHIT!"

"Revan? What's gotten into you? What are you talking abo-oh... oh, my." Qui-Gon said, his eyes now focusing on footage from one of the many Duel Arenas on Nar Shaddaa. What made this one so special was that this one was a few blocks down the street, where a new fighter was taking on three of the top ranked fighters at once, and just so happened to be winning.

"Damnit! He is SO sleeping on the couch for the rest of the week!" Revan growled.

"_Naruto...Uzumaki...Namikaze...You are in so much trouble, you will not believe it. You cannot describe how pissed I am at you right now, and DON'T try and shut me out. I know you can hear me."_

On the screen, she saw the blond fighter wince once, before ducking under a swing from a Trandoshan opponent, then knocking him into the arena wall with a backwards spin kick to the alien's skull. The unfortunate fighter merely slid down the wall before coming to a rest on the arena floor in a crumpled heap, completely unconscious.

"He's well-trained in unarmed combat. Not many can take a Trandoshan in terms of strength, and even fewer can take them out with just one kick." Qui-Gon commented.

"Well, considering the Trandoshan, the Gammorean and the Rodian are all armed with blades and blasters, if they don't kill him, I may just do it myself." Revan said, and stalked out of the bar, using her bond with the blonde to find him.

Qui-Gon followed at a reserved pace. "_Interesting. Master Yoda is right, there will be much to learn from them, and for Naruto to get my Padawan to do something like this…I like him already." _The master thought, grinning as he followed the living legend down several levels, deeper into the bowels of the planet.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Several minutes earlier...<strong>_

"OH, HELL YEAH!" Naruto yelled, watching his opponent...something Ben called a Twi'lek, crumple to the ground after receiving a blow to the gut from his weapon. Naruto thought the tails on the head, combined with the way they seemed to twitch and wiggle, made it look like a half-dead squid was perched on its' head.

Naruto spun the staff he'd chosen, twirling it around bemusedly. He'd watched a few fights, and while disappointed about the suppression field, he thought it would have been something cool to use back in Konoha between him and Lee in the younger days, when the taijutsu specialist was 'Burning Brightly with the Flames of Youth'. Regardless of how good Naruto always felt in the beginning, the ending always left a bruised and battered Naruto wondering what mountain had fallen on him, and where the hell it came from.

"Can we go now?" Ben asked, as Naruto returned to his corner of the arena and drank some water.

"Go? Why, we're winning." Naruto said in protest. He hadn't used any of his jutsu, and he barely been pushed with taijutsu. "We can clean up here." He said.

Obi-wan sighed, but he did have to agree with his new friend. He'd placed a few bets on him after some encouragement from Naruto, who swore that if he lost he'd pay him back double.

To begin with, Obi-Wan had started off with around five thousand credits. He was currently holding nearly eighty thousand credits after three fights. "_Naruto was paired against one of the best duelists in his first fight. Everyone bet on the other guy, and Naruto waltzed over him as if he was a youngling. He hasn't used the Force once, or those other...blast, what were they called..."Ninja" techniques he showed us back at the Temple."_

"Very well, we can stay a little longer. Just be careful. Many of the beings here don't like to lose, and may very well hold a grudge after this." He cautioned the blond.

Naruto merely answered with a grin. "But Ben, that just makes it all the more fun."

Obi-wan sighed. "_How is it that a man, older than both Master Qui-Gon and I combined, acts like an undisciplined youngling one minute, but when on the battlefield, he's like Master Yoda in both skill and discipline?"_

"Oh, hey. There are three of them, now." Naruto said watching a Gammorean, a Trandoshan and a Rodian enter the dueling arena.

"Be careful. This doesn't feel right." Obi-wan cautioned.

Naruto nodded as he felt the suppressor shut down, and he looked to where the controller was supposed to be. The being that Obi-Wan had called a Quarren was nowhere to be seen.

"Suppressors down." Naruto said, and Obi-Wan felt the shields rise around the arena floor, meaning there was no escape, and things were about to get heated.

"What should I do?" Obi-wan asked.

Naruto spared him a look, and grinned. "Bet large on me kicking their asses." And with that, he was moving.

XX

Naruto had just ducked several blaster shots from the Rodian when he felt Revan's presence against his mental shields. He used the staff to knock out the Rodian, and thus eliminated the blasters.

"_Naruto...Uzumaki...Namikaze...You are in so much trouble, you will not believe it. You cannot describe how pissed I am at you right now, and DON'T try and shut me out. I know you can hear me."_

He couldn't contain the wince as he drilled the Trandoshan with a backwards spin kick he learned from Lee. He only half expected it to work, and was completely surprised when not only did it work, it worked well enough to drive the alien into the arena wall, knocking him out of the fight temporarily.

"_Fuck me, it actually works!" _He thought with surprise, as he rolled and scooped up the dropped vibro-sword.

"_I'm not going to draw my lightsaber if I don't have to. The last thing I need to do is get Jedi-Hunters on my case. Rev would never let me live that down." _He thought as he avoided the slow axe swipes from the pig-like creature.

"_Ugh, he's fatter than Jiroubo! Smells just as bad, too." _Naruto thought, remembering the former member of the Sound Five.

Naruto saw that the Trandoshan was back up, and had picked up its' other blade.

"_Better end this before Rev gets here. I know I said I wouldn't do this, but I needed to stretch somehow."_

The former Hokage sighed as he ducked under the axe swipe, and with a slash gutted the Gammorean like the pig it was, the blade continuing through the body like a knife through butter, before connecting with the sideways strike from the Trandoshan.

Naruto got to his feet with ease, pushing the lizard being back as he did so.

"You three came in here to kill me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He knew they had every intention of ending his life from the moment they entered the arena. "Why?" Naruto demanded as he attacked, several bloody gashes littering the Trandoshan's arms as he backpedaled away from Naruto.

"Paid to. You were winning too many fights. Nothing personal."

Naruto growled. "Oh, no…not at all." He said, holding his left hand behind his back while slashing at his opponent, building up a low-level Rasengan.

"_Took me forever to get it down to one hand without the clones…well, Revan kept distracting me wearing that sexy lingerie and nibbling on me all the time." _Naruto smiled. "_My wife is a pervert, and I like it."_

"Nothing personal, but I hear my wife coming." Naruto said as he felt the Force wave that was his wife shoving through the crowd. "So, game over." He used the blade to knock the Trandoshan's blade up, and then with his left he rammed the Rasengan into the creature's chest and sent it flying.

The poor alien was taken completely by surprise, the swirling ball of energy drilling through his armor and into his flesh. Naruto then propelled it from his hand, the Rasengan taking off and pushing the Trandoshan forward, directly into the shield barrier. Caught between two opposing forces of energy, the Trandoshan didn't stand a chance, and the Rasengan cratered a hole in his chest, killing him instantly.

Naruto turned to see Obi-Wan collecting his-er, I mean, their winnings, before turning again and walking straight into the glare of Revan, followed by a semi-smirking Qui-Gon.

As the field came down, Naruto winced as his wife's eyes hardened towards him.

"Aw, crap…I'm in trouble."

He dropped the blade he'd picked up, and took several steps back.

"Now, Rev, sweetie-"

"Don't you sweetie me, baka. You said you wouldn't enter duels like this anymore after that tournament in Iwa."

Naruto winced. "But there was no danger here-"

She levitated a blaster. "Cut the crap, Naruto. This was set to kill, you baka! KILL!"

Naruto winced as her voice got louder. He could hear bets taking place around the arena on how long it would be before she gutted him like a fish.

"_Yep, she's going to kill me this time. I just know it."_

"_Pfft, I won't kill you love, but I am going scold the ever-living hell out of you. YOU ARE RECKLESS!" _Revan's voice echoed.

_:Aw, come on Rev. You and I both know I am just being the same old loveable me."_

Revan shook her head as she grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him towards the exit. Several cat calls and applause from some of the females in the crowd had Revan fighting hard not to laugh.

"So?" she asked.

"What?" Naruto replied, as they exited the lower level arena.

"Did you have fun?" she asked, as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan joined them.

"A blast." Naruto said with a grin. "So, how much did we take?" he looked at Obi-wan.

The Padawan looked at his Master, who had crossed his arms and was smirking. "Two hundred and thirty thousand credits-"

"Which you will not be keeping." Revan and Qui-Gon said at the same time.

"I told you to keep out of trouble." Revan saw her husband's mulish nature rising, and was quick to try and corral the beast.

"And as Jedi, we live a life of poverty." Qui-Gon said, reminding his apprentice.

"Aw, come on." Naruto said, looking at his wife who merely shook her head.

Naruto sighed. "Fuck it...You said there are refugees, correct?" he asked.

"Come on." Revan said, her mind already knowing what he was thinking. The Jedi followed the pair.

XX

"Now this brings back memories." Revan said as they looked over the various crates that were homes to many of those in the sector.

Naruto saw the state of men, women and children of numerous species. She saw the sadness in his eyes, and the remembrance of his own personal experiences with poverty and squalor.

"In the course of four thousand years, this has remained the same." Revan said, talking to Obi-Wan and Naruto. Qui-Gon was speaking to the leader of the refugee camp.

"It is?" Obi-wan asked.

"Yeah. Smells the same, the crates might be a bit newer, and some species I don't recognize, but it's the same."

Naruto stood behind her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. "And you say the Republic has done nothing about this?"

"It's located in Hutt Space." Revan said. "They don't allow the Republic into their territory without much protest, and it's too costly to seek out trouble, so they let the Outer Rim worlds fall apart without putting in much, if any, effort to stop it."

Obi-wan wanted to argue, but he was hard-pressed to correct her. While the Mid-Rim and Core Worlds thrived, the Outer Rim worlds were ignored, and usually left to stagnate, decay, and eventually die off.

"So what…" he stopped, seeing Revan have a faraway look on her face. "Is she okay?"

Naruto stepped around her, and looked into her eyes. "Rev?"

She blinked. "Obi-Wan, stay with Qui-Gon." She took Naruto's hand. "You're coming with me. We need to find someone."

"Who?" The Padawan asked.

"An old friend." Revan said, and tugged her husband after her. "We'll meet you back at the dock cantina."

"Rev, what-" Naruto asked as she dragged him away, leaving a curious Padawan wondering what just happened.

XX

They passed the Jek Jek Tar, and Naruto wondered where his beautiful and determined wife was taking them. She stopped by a display panel.

"He's here...I can't believe it." She muttered.

"Who?" Naruto asked.

Revan didn't answer, but pulled out a pair of suits. "Put this on."

"Revan, where are we going?" he asked, accepting the breathing suit.

"Into the Jek Jek Tar. If I'm right, we need to get to the back rooms and the private chambers below. I should have thought of it. She would have left him someplace secure. But why here?" the Jedi Master muttered as she dressed in the breathing suit.

Naruto saw she was determined, so he listened to her, adjusted the suit like she told him, and then they entered the Jek Jek Tar.

_**Cliffhanger, ho! No, but I plan on posting either every day, or every other day, so there should be no problems with waiting 24-48 hrs, right?**_

_**In any case, I'm doing my best to not catch this cold that has been going around, and while my body fights the good fight, I have a headache, a sore throat, and the feeling of being hit by a Mac Truck. Side notes aside, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I will do my best to post a new one asap.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin, signing out.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: An Old Friend**

"Why dear, I have no idea why I even bothered to question your wisdom. I mean, look at this wonderful smell you've discovered." Naruto remarked after they got below the alien cantina, and into the tunnels, well away from the noxious gas. The tunnels were a convoluted maze of doors and fans.

Revan was leading the way. She seemed to know where she was going. Naruto figured it was a connection to someone she knew down here, however unlikely it may be.

He held a kunai in his hand after they'd encountered a group of kath hounds Revan identified. Despite their fierce reputation as the guard dogs of the galaxy, they were little trouble to the two. However, one had managed to tear a hole in Naruto's new clothing, so he was none too happy about that, and was resolved to protect his new wares at all costs, thus the extra caution.

With his comment about the smell of the tunnels, Revan shot him a look. "You're one to talk, Naru-kun. It smells better than that dive you took me to near Ta no Kuni, you know, when we entered that old, decrepit hideout of Orochimaru's, and found hundreds of dead wo-oh...oh, damnit." She said as they stopped outside a door.

"What?" Naruto asked.

Revan looked at the control panel, running her finger along it and coming up with a thick coating of dust."This panel has been out of usage for quite a long time. The cut wires beneath mean it's been dead for just as long. This is going to take a while to cut thru."

Naruto nodded, and with a 'poof', his lightsaber appeared in his hand, and Revan's in hers. "I love storage tattoos." She said, and the blades activated with a _SNAP-HISS. _The couple then plunged their blades into the sealed door, beginning the arduous process of cutting a human-sized hole in the durasteel-plated door.

"You take me to such nice places, Rev. We should do this more often" Naruto said.

"Your just mad cause I'm making you give up the money from your fights." countered Revan.

"Actually, I'm not. However, I don't think Ben should be punished. I did drag him there, and he didn't fight. He should at least get a take for being such a sport about being dragged to a seedy fight club to watch his new friend beat the tar out of some unfortunate scumbags."

"I'll speak to his Master, and see if he can't get a finder's fee." Revan said as they slowly cut through the first layer, and began working their way through the second.

"Naruto." She said getting his attention as he continued to push the blade.

"What?"

"I…I'm sorry about taking you away from your home. Everyone you knew-"

"Its okay. You did the best you could. Besides, I think Ino was sick of seeing my bronze body in the peak of physical condition, running around Konoha every morning while she looked old and-"

"She didn't have wrinkles dear." Revan said defending her blond friend. "She was getting silver strands of hair, nothing more."

"Yeah, well...it was rough seeing them all age while I stayed looking twenty-something." Naruto said.

"Naruto, I..." Revan said.

"Yes?"

"It...it took us a couple years, as the ship's hyperdrive kept giving out."

"What took years?" Naruto inquired.

"To...to get from Konoha to Coruscant." Revan said and watched as Naruto froze then sighed.

"I figured that." He said.

He formed a familiar cross seal and two shadow clones appeared. "Keep cutting." He said handing them his and Revan's blades as he pulled his wife aside.

"I'm not mad or upset at you." He said putting a hand on each of her shoulders. "I can feel it through the bond. You thought I would be mad, didn't you?"

"Yes." Revan said. "Its just…I took you away from the only world you've ever known, and thrown you into a galaxy with species that are beyond description. I mean, I know I'm your wife, but-"

"No buts." Naruto said, taking her chin and making her look at him. "Never doubt us. No matter what. You are my precious person, my reason to make myself better, the first thing I think about waking up, the last thing I think about before I sleep. You are my heart and soul, Revan Namikaze." He said. "If you want to stay with the Jedi and teach a couple generations, that's fine with me. If you want to move from planet to planet taking odd jobs to make ends meet, that's fine. If you want to set up a diner and be a sexy waitress, I can live with that. It doesn't matter where we are, or what we do. As long as you are there, I will adapt to any situation." He kissed her as behind them a pair of shadow clones continued to work.

One looked at his counterpart and grinned. "Boss is gonna score tonight."

"Stow it stupid, and keep cutting." The other one grunted, doing his best to try to ignore the kissing couple behind it.

XX

"Done." The clones said as they returned the lightsabers then dispelled.

"Rev, if you would be so kind?" Naruto motioned towards the cut out door.

"Work, work, work. I swear, men can't do jack without a woman around." She said with a grin, and with a tap from the back of her hand, the cut-out squealed before toppling inward with a resounding _BANG_.

"Knock, knock. Cleaning service." Naruto said, stepping through and stopping. Revan watched as he sniffed the air.

"Its stale, almost sour. You were right. I don't think anyone's been here for a long time." Naruto reported.

"Does it smell like my ship did when we went to work on it?" Revan asked and Naruto nodded.

"A thousand years then, at least." She muttered, her deactivated lightsaber in her hand. "This way." She pointed towards the left corridor and they walked, Revan scanning for traps with the Force and Naruto using his enhanced senses and decades of trap experience for the same task.

"A lot of beings died here." Naruto said.

Revan nodded. "A friend of mine was here upon her return. She had to fight a major crime boss who was trying to collect a bounty on her head."

"The Exile?" Naruto asked.

Revan snorted. "She hated that name. Jaina was an exile, but she returned. I looked up her files. She was still called Exile after her return, and she was a Master on the reformed council." Revan shook her head.

"Jaina…Jaina Kale, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. She was a friend from my time before the council erased my memories, then after she returned."

Naruto paused, before stopping altogether.

"What is it?" Revan queried.

"What in the name...of all that is holy...is THAT?" Naruto asked wide eyed, pointing through a glass window to an arena below.

"A rancor." Revan said. "Old one at that." She said, seeing the age lines on its' fangs. "Someone put that here to guard whatever is behind those doors behind it."

"How is it fed? I mean…look at all the bones." Naruto asked.

"Look above. See those lines on the ceiling?" Revan pointed to a hidden trapdoor on the ceiling. "Bet it leads to the Jek Jek Tar, and they toss bodies down here after a fight to dispose of evidence. They don't even know what's here."

Naruto shuddered, hoping that whoever was tossed down here was already dead by the time they got down here.

"Its probably spent long periods hibernating, seeing as it looks like it hasn't been fed in quite some time." Revan continued, looking down into the arena and analyzing the decrepit old bones.

"Well, I guess-"

"We'll have to either sneak past it, or kill it." Revan said.

"Whoa, whoa, hold the phone! Kill it?"

"I need what's in that room." Revan said looking at her husband, and he sighed at her 'resolve face'. He knew he was in for a long night on the couch if he didn't agree.

"Fine. How do you propose to get past that behemoth?"

Revan sighed. "I don't have any grenades, so this will have to be the hard way, I'm afraid. We'll fight it like we did that Troll from Iwa."

Naruto groaned. "Really? Damnit, that thing hit hard." He looked at the beast below. "Well at least the rancor is better looking. They are about the same size, though I'd wager the rancor smells better, and has a good head in height over the troll." He thought.

"Do I at least get first crack?" he asked.

Revan sighed. "Don't come crying to me when he leaves you a smear on the ground."

Naruto smiled, and kissed her quickly. "I won't. You're the best wife ever."

Revan laughed as he skipped to the entrance and palmed the hatch release. She watched as the doors opened, rumbling and screeching from long inactivity.

The rancor was awakened by the noise, and yawned (at least, Revan assumed the grumbled roar was a yawn), before getting to it's stubby legs, seeming to glare at Naruto for disturbing its' slumber. Revan stayed in the shadows, ready to aid her husband with the use of the Force should he need it.

XX

**Meanwhile…**

"I'm sorry, Master." Obi-Wan said sitting across the table from Qui-Gon.

"Its alright Obi-Wan. To be perfectly honest, I always wanted you to rebel somehow. It seems your friendship with Naruto will be good for you in the long run." The elder Jedi said with a smile, sipping his tea nonchalantly.

"Master?"

"Before you met him, you would never have tried to even visit a place like the duel arena, let alone enter and participate in one, however limited your participation in this particular incident was. I want you to know that things aren't like they seem on the surface. I'm afraid I've been remiss in teaching you about some of the more seedier places and activities, as our duties have kept us in certain circles. While many of them are dangerous and, without a doubt, filled with undesirables, the places I'm sure Naruto will take you will show you the real face of the galaxy that I want you to learn about, not the political sugar-coated version most Jedi only see."

Obi-wan was silent. "He's not what I expected, Master. He's...well, he's an enigma to me."

Qui-Gon smiled. "I find it fitting." He sipped his tea. "When I was younger, and this was before Dooku took me as his Padawan, mind you, my insatiable curiosity got the better of me, like it usually does, and I went to the archives. I did a study on Jedi Knights who fell to the Dark Side, and the history I learned about Revan fascinated me, as well as frightened me. A Jedi with such promise, such a prodigy in her own right, fell to the Dark Side. Her redemption was documented by several Jedi, such as Bastila Shan, Jolee Bindo, Master Vandar and many others. They spoke of the mind wipe, the journey to find the Star Forge, and the last-ditch attempt to stop Revan's former apprentice, Darth Malak."

Obi-Wan listened intently to the tale his master wove, from its' very beginning to its' somewhat anticlimactic ending. "...And then...she simply boarded her ship, the _Ebon Hawk_, and disappeared. She is the last of her kind in all the known galaxy, and just so happens to be immortal. Naruto Namikaze is immortal, as well…how, we don't fully know. I think the answer, or answers rather, are located within the holocron she handed to Master Yoda."

"Could we ask him? Naruto, I mean. Could we ask him directly?" Obi-wan asked. "Naruto doesn't seem to mind answering questions, or speaking about his past, for that matter."

"It is something we really don't need to know, and I would not advise to go looking into his past, my young Padawan." Qui-Gon answered. "To you, he may seem calm and collected when talking about it, but inside, the energies within him become as tumultuous as a maelstrom. He may abide by your request, but he may feel very uncomfortable about it, regardless."

Obi-Wan hung his head in regret. "I...I didn't mean to hurt him, Master"

Qui-Gon patted him on the shoulder. "It's alright, Padawan. Curiosity is fine in moderation. Just make sure to consider others feelings before asking personal questions."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master."

Qui-Gon turned his attention to his own enigma. "His connection to the Force is amazing. The abilities he uses with that strange personal energy called Chakra is equal to many things we can do with the Force. Some of them are impossible to do, even with the Force."

"You mean like walking on walls?"

Qui-Gon smiled. "Many of his abilities are new, and some are frightening. I know the talk in the Temple was quite heated."

Obi-wan shook his head. "Master Took and Master Guile both say he's a Sith Lord, one of the strongest they've ever seen, and Revan's return will doom us all."

"Pfft, don't listen to that nonsense. You can look at both the Namikaze's, and without even having to tap into the Force, you can see they shine so strongly in the Light Side of the Force. There is no trace of malice in either of them. Anger, yes. Hurt, yes. Anguish, yes. Malice, though...not a trace of it exists." Qui-Gon said.

Obi-wan nodded at that. While meditating on the trip, he'd seen them both in the Force. They shone brighter than the gas giants of the Yavin system.

"Master, what do you think they went to find?" Obi-wan asked.

"If I had to guess, it would be something from Revan's past." Qui-Gon said.

XX

Revan looked at the unconscious rancor and sighed. "You enjoyed that."

Naruto smiled. "What? It roared. I just wanted it to know it wasn't the biggest thing around just because it had teeth the size of a zanbatou."

The pair approached the door and Revan waved her hand, triggering the door release.

"Ohoho...well, I'll be damned." She said once the lights flickered on. Sitting there was a very battered, broken, and rusted droid she thought she'd never see again. "Never thought I'd see you again, HK-47. You've definitely seen better days. What the hell did those guys do to you?"

Taking a step closer, she stopped as a holocron on the floor sensed a living presence in the room and sprang to life.

"By the Force...Bastila." Revan breathed, seeing the image of the woman who shared a bond with her so long ago.

"Hello, Revan. I knew you would come back." said Bastila Shan, the Jedi Master's silver hair and wrinkled smile showing her old age. "I never doubted it for a second."

* * *

><p>"You look like hell, Bast." Revan said to the image of her sister Jedi, long since passed all those millennia ago.<p>

The holocron image shifted, before smirking. "And you look the same as you did when you left…no, you're happy…content…whole."

Revan studied the image of the woman she shared a bond with. "You made Master, I see. Hope you didn't bore your Padawans with rules, regulations, lore, and more rules."

The holocron image laughed. "Actually, I used you and Jaina as my idols. You should be so proud." She then turned and smirked at Naruto. "And who is this handsome devil?" the holocron asked.

"My husband, Bastila, which means he's taken. Meet Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."

"Well, can't blame a girl for trying, right? Greetings, Naruto."

"Er, hi." The blond replied, scratching the back of his head. The holocrons always unnerved him ever since he saw Revan's all those years ago.

"It has been a long time since my image has been called forth." Bastila said. "There are messages recorded in here for you, Revan. Listen to them at your leisure."

"Why were you put here Bastila? Or rather, your holocron?" Revan asked.

"Jaina's idea. She thought you'd come to Nar Shadda at one point or another. Considering your less than impressive track record, she was spot on. HK-47 was deactivated after one of our more brutal battle, none were able to fix him properly, and many didn't want to, since he started to refuse even Jaina's orders."

Revan looked at the droid. "I built him so long ago."

"How long has passed, if I may ask?" Bastila asked.

"Over four thousand years, my friend." Revan said.

"Then I'm afraid the _Ebon Hawk_ is probably no more. Canderous…sorry, Mandalore stored it on Dxun, but time on that moon will have ravaged it, I'm afraid."

Revan nodded, and Bastila continued. "Now, collect this holocron, and your droid. We shall speak more when you get the chance."

"Thank you Bast. I missed you, you know." Revan said.

"Missed you, brat." Bastila said as the holocron shut down. Naruto picked it up while Revan went to the droid.

"Well?" he asked, seeing her looking at it. The frame was ruined, even he could see that.

"I can salvage his memory core and personality unit, but the body is beyond repair."

Naruto watched as Revan pulled several tools from the kunai pouch she wore on her thigh. While Naruto carried weapons, his wife carried tools.

He watched as she worked on scavenging parts, and then separated the head from the droids body.

"I'm amazed his head's intact." Revan said cradling it under her arm as she walked back to her husband.

"And you got upset when I carried Pein's head under my arm." Naruto muttered.

"Excuse me?" Revan asked.

"Nothing, dear." Naruto said as he followed his wife.

"The difference, husband of mine, is that Pein's head was a bloody mess by the time you were done, and by the time we got back to Konoha, all the fluids had drained out and it was just smelling horrible." She held up the droids head. "HK's head is intact, not leaking fluids, and when I get a chance, I'll activate it and see what I can do about building him a new body."

"HK…wait, that crazy assassin droid you always talked about? That HK?"

Revan smiled. "Yes, that HK."

"He calls me meatbag, I'll punt him from here to Konoha."

Revan smiled. "I'll see what I can do, but no promises, as it seemed to be programmed into every system and sub-system he had."

The pair made their way back out. Naruto looked at the rancor a moment. "Wonder what it would be like unleashing a few of these upon Oto?" he muttered.

"No." Revan said from next to him.

"But dear-"

"No Naruto. We are not transplanting creatures from my known galaxy upon your world. Think about it. If another person like Orochimaru or Sasuke got enough power to control them…"

Naruto sighed. "Your right. I'm sorry."

"I know. You just like thinking of ways to protect those you care for. And while they might be gone, their legacy and yours will remain."

Naruto smiled thinking of his image next to Tsunade's on the Hokage Monument. "So, we collect Ben and Master Jinn, then what?" Naruto asked as they found a escape passage that would take them back to the surface.

"Well, we report to the Council of Masters, then you and I are going to work on some of your Force skills that I know you've been avoiding."

Naruto pouted. "But, I like my jutsu better."

Revan gave him a look that wives across all the galaxies and dimensions give their husbands when they say something that they feel is stupid.

"You like the explosions. I swear, you and Anko have to be related."

"Hey, you leave Anko out of this." Naruto said.

"Ohoho...no, I'm not. I still have those pictures." Revan said, and Naruto stopped and looked at her in shock.

"You promised you'd not hold those against me."

Revan smiled at her husband. "No I didn't. I said I would THINK about not using them. But then your drinking buddy let slip that she saw you naked..."

Naruto groaned. "Wasn't my fault. She used a fire jutsu and burned off my clothes. I dived into the water-"

"And she just happened to fall in after you, right?" Revan asked. He didn't see the smile, as he was busy trying to think of a way out of the doghouse for something that happened nearly thirty years ago.

"I think I need to be reassured my husband loves me." Revan said.

Naruto heard the teasing in her voice and smiled. "And how will I do that, my love? Is there any form of barter I can offer to be forgiven?"

Revan laughed as they took the lift up. She smiled as her husband nibbled her neck below her ear, whispering suggestions of what he could do in trade. "_Thank the Force HK's deactivated, I would hate for him to mention anything Naruto's planning on…oh...oh, that sounds good." _She thought, as one suggestion had her eyes rolling up into her head while his hands massaged her ribs and teased her breasts while staying over her robes.

"Hon, we're going to be a little late in meeting the others." she said.

"Why's that, dear?" Naruto asked, feigning ignorance while slipping a hand beneath her robe to caress a full breast.

Her hand barely twitching, the lift ground to a halt. Tossing HK's head to the far corner, she whirled around and pushed Naruto against the lift wall, locking her lips against his while grinding against him, her left hand holding him against the lift while her right groped his package.

Naruto groaned, bumping his hips against her hand as she toyed with his boys. "Rev, honey...the others...Ben-"

"Ben can wait until I'm finished with you." she growled, using her hand to slip under his pants, gripping his erection and stroking it slowly.

"Rev...oh, Kami..." he groaned out, pulling his pants down as she knelt before him, stroking him sensually before dragging her tongue across his length, feeling it twitch and pulse, before pulling him into her mouth, bobbing back and forth on his meat.

"Hime...don't...not so fast..." Naruto panted, unable to do anything except push his dick back and forth between her lips, her mouth devouring him hungrily as he gripped her head lightly.

Pulling him from her mouth, she looked up at him. "I can't wait until we're alone again. If you don't do this, you'll be sleeping on the couch...ALONE, this time, for the next month."

Naruto merely sighed, before grabbing her head and thrusting his cock back into her mouth. "Screwed if I do, screwed if I don't. Demanding little minx." He felt her moan of approval, and shuddered as she proceeded to suck on him like a popsicle, twirling her tongue around his head teasingly as she bobbed back and forth.

Revan was completely lost, drowning in the smell and taste of her love. Teasing his shaft, she sucked on him harder, determined to get the cum inside that she knew was hers, and hers alone. Feeling him shudder, she pulled back, until just the head was inside her mouth, sucked as hard as she could, and flicked her tongue back and forth over his sensitive head.

Naruto was already close, his wife having long since discovered just where to suck and lick to get him to bust a nut early, and she had employed all those techniques, using every last trick in her book to take his impressive stamina and completely destroy it. Feeling her trap his head inside her lips, applying suction and playfully licking the tip, was simply too much for him, and his whole body seized up as his cock twitched once, before erupting, pouring stream after stream of his semen into her mouth.

Revan felt a small grin appear on her face as she felt him reach his peak, before moaning as he began to orgasm, pumping her mouth full of his warm, sweet nectar. Keeping him firmly lodged between her lips, she swallowed every spurt, every stream of her husband's love juice, licking him softly as he finished, before releasing him with a small _POP_.

Panting, Naruto looked down to see his wife removing her robes, her nipples erect and pussy glistening. Smirking, he pounced on her, palming a breast as he nuzzled and licked her neck.

"You got aroused just from sucking me off, ne?"

"Why wouldn't I, especially when you have such an impressive manhood, Naru-kun?"

He grinned, leaning back before licking an erect nipple, causing it to tighten even further. "You torturous little minx." He then licked the other nipple, before capturing it in his mouth, causing his Revan to arch her back as she felt him suck and nip at her sensitive bud.

"N-no fair, N-naruto...you k-know my breasts are s-sensitive." she whined.

"All's fair in love and war, hon. You, of all people, should know that." Naruto murmured, before switching to her other breast and giving it the same treatment, causing Revan to squeal and arch her back yet again, her chest pushing against Naruto's face, wanting even more sweet torture. He happily obliged.

Leaving her breasts red and swollen, he trailed down her stomach, laying kisses as he went. Arriving at the tuft of hair near her core, he blew on it softly, causing Revan to arch her back again. She moaned, then squealed cutely as he licked her nub, playing with it lightly before delving between her folds, lapping at her core as she writhed and cried out.

"N-naruto, no more! I-if you keep that up...I'll...I'll..."

With one small bite to her clitoris, Revan was pushed head-over-heels into her orgasm, her legs tightening around his head as she convulsed violently around his tongue, Naruto still lapping at her pussy as juices began to flow freely from her core.

Gasping for air, Revan flipped them over, straddling her husband and inserting the head of his cock into her. Moaning, she slowly slid down upon his 8-inch appendage, moaning again in contentment as she fully embedded him inside her.

Naruto groaned at his wife's tightness, fighting and losing the urge to bump his hips against hers, which caused both parties to moan in pleasure.

"Again." Revan groaned out.

Naruto bumped his hips up again, before gripping hers and pulling his length out. Slamming it back in, he started a slow but steady rhythm, pumping his length inside her in ever quickening strokes."

"Yes...yes...more...yes...faster...faster, Naruto." Revan moaned out, meeting him stroke for stroke as he began to speed up, the sounds of heated flesh slapping together lustfully echoing throughout the lift.

"Kami, you're so wet, hime...and the way your walls squeeze my cock..." Naruto groaned, pumping his shaft deeper and deeper into her waiting slit, before flipping her over onto her hands and knees, re-entering her and pounding away at her pussy.

"Naruto, wait, I-OH GOD!" she cried out, beginning to protest until he slammed back into her, making her eyes roll into the back of her head as his cock proceeded to ravage her pussy, panting as he slid in and out, in and out, in and out.

"You're so tight, babe...it feels so good..." Naruto said, reaching forward to grasp her jiggling C-cup breasts as he arched his cock, rubbing against her g-spot over and over with each stroke.

"NARUTO...OH KAMI, DON'T STOP...RIGHT THERE...KEEP THRUSTING!" she cried out, pushing her hips back against his fiercely as his length began to rub against the opening to her womb, before the head slipped inside of it.

"Revan...Revan...oh, Kami...don't clench so tight...it's too good..." he groaned, pinching and pulling on her nipples as her pussy walls proceeded to milk his cock, driving him closer and closer to the edge. "No good...if you keep doing that..."

"Yes...yes, cum inside me...do it, Naruto...cum inside me, love!" Revan cried, reaching around to grab his head and kiss him deeply, her pussy starting to convulse as her second orgasm drew near.

"Revan...I can't...I'm...cumming!" Naruto ground out, slamming his hips into her own faster and faster, his cock pulsing and twitching inside her womb as he fucked her pussy harder and harder.

"Me, too...I'm gonna cum...I'm...OH, KAMI!" she screamed, before clenching her pussy around his cock, squirting her juices around his length as her walls trembled violently around him. She arched her back and cried out in pleasure as she felt her husband continue to plow her pussy as she orgasmed, before he succumbed to his own pleasure and embedded his cock into her womb, twitching rapidly before exploding inside her, spraying load after load of his hot cum inside her, causing her to seemingly have another orgasm as she clenched even tighter around him and cried out again, her pussy milking him for every last drop of cum in his balls.

Panting, the two lovers collapsed to the floor below, Naruto already wrapping his arms around Revan, and Revan snuggling up against Naruto as he spooned with her.

"That was amazing, love." Revan gasped out.

"I know I am." Naruto quipped, getting a playful swat from his wife.

"You and your big ego." she said, grinning.

"My ego's not the only thing that's-Hey, cut that out." he said, as Revan swatted him again.

"You are such a child, sometimes." Revan said. "But that's part of the reason why I love you so much."

"You are such a stick in the mud, sometimes." Naruto countered. "But that's why I love you, too."

Revan smiled, rolling over and kissing her husband. "You, my love, have just earned yourself Round 2."

Naruto grinned, as Revan mounted him a second time. "I knew there was a reason why I married you."

Revan playfully slapped him again. "Shut up and fuck me, you stud."

XX

A grinning Naruto and a flushed Revan rejoined Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

"I hope everything went as you hoped it would, guys...Revan, are you okay?" the Padawan asked, seeing Revan's flushed condition. Qui-Gon merely winked in her direction, a knowing look in his eyes and a small grin on his face

"Yeah, uh...everything went exactly the way I wanted it." She said, ignoring Qui-Gon's teasing looks and Naruto's snickering, putting the droid's head on the table in front of the two Jedi.

Obi-Wan blinked. "What in the..."

"Gentlemen, meet HK-47, a very old friend...or rather, what's left of him. He was pretty heavily damaged, but I managed to salvage the important pieces." Revan said, stealing Qui-Gon's tea and sipping it, Qui-Gon pouting as she did so, before ordering another cup.

"So, on your guys' end of the deal, how did it go? Did the refugees enjoy the donation?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, they were most appreciative of such a large amount. It will allow them to buy medical supplies, and food and blankets for all." Qui-Gon replied.

Naruto nodded.

"Are we finished then?" Revan asked.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Just need to get back to the transport, and we can head back the next time it's scheduled to depart."

Revan looked at the droid head. "I want to visit a couple of stalls before we go. I need to see if I can find parts for him. If I'm really lucky, I may just find a whole frame for him."

"Wouldn't you have better luck on Coruscant? Certainly they have better technology." Obi-wan asked. Revan smiled, and shook her head. "Doubt it. I made this droid, and most of his original parts I hand-made, as well. I have a feeling I'll be doing that as well for a new body, but it never hurts to look."

Qui-Gon was looking at the droid head. "I don't think I've ever seen a style like this before."

"I'm sure you wouldn't." Revan said leaning against the wall. "When I made HK, I was just starting down my path as a Dark Lord of the Sith. He was my bodyguard, and more importantly, he was an assassin droid."

Obi-wan gasped. "And you want to rebuild him? Whatever for?"

Revan smiled as she patted the deactivated droid head, "He was my friend. And even when I became a Jedi, he stood by me, and fought for the Republic. Most importantly, I trusted him with my life, and he's saved me on more than one occasion. I owe it to him to do my best to bring him back."

Qui-Gon put a hand on his Padawan's shoulder to stop him from saying something else. "It's her call, Obi-Wan. Besides, if things get out of hand, I'm sure it can be deactivated just as easily. Nothing to worry about."

"Guys...I think we need to get going." Naruto said in a low voic,e and the three Jedi looked at him. Revan saw his gaze.

"Son of a Hutt." She muttered, seeing the heavily armed trio of Trandoshans coming their way after seeing the bartender point at them.

"I don't think they like the fact I won so much in the arena." Naruto said standing up. He looked at the others.

"Get to the ship…I'll only be a moment."

Revan chuckled, grabbed the head of her droid and kissed her husband on the lips. "Come on, you two." She said, heading for the backdoor.

"You're just going to leave him against a bar full of thugs?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously as his Master pushed him along.

Revan snorted. "Don't worry. He won't kill them unless they force him to."

"What about them killing him?" Obi-Wan asked as they were moving along the vast catwalks.

Revan laughed. "They won't." Behind them, sounds of a rather large scuffle could be heard, and as a door opened, they heard a shout of, "Bunshin Daibakuha!"

Revan winced. "We won't have to pay for damages…right?"

Explosions could be heard and the door hissed shut again as the trio continued on, Revan and Qui-Gon chuckling as Obi-Wan continuously looked back at the bar, seeing patrons fleeing as the ruckus seemed to get...slightly out of hand.

XX

Naruto looked around the smoking remains of the bar, and sighed. "Fuck no...I am so not paying for this." He continued to mutter obscenities as he picked the pockets of the downed bounty hunters (and the patrons that had decided to join in). He got a storage scroll, unrolled it, and sealed away any weapons and armor that he thought he could sell. The credits (after using some of the pilfered coinage to pay for the damages-_scratch that_- to help rebuild the blown-out wall of the cantina) he set aside in a separate pouch.

"_I can get something for Rev later." _He smiled. "_And maybe visit Dex and get some ramen." _He giggled a bit, convinced he was about to get away with pulling a fast one on his wife.

At a vendor's stall near the spaceport, Revan stopped mid-haggle, a foreboding feeling overcoming her. "_My Naruto-senses are tingling. Something tells me he's about to try and pull a fast one on me. The hell I'm going to let that happen."_

Naruto was just getting ready to leave, when..._"Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, whatever it is you are planning, forget it, mister. I am onto you and your trickery." _she sent through their bond.

"_Aw, Rev, I find your lack of faith disturbing. This is me we're talking about."_

Revan sighed. "_I know, that's why I'm telling you now, in advance. Whatever you have cooking in that ramen-addicted mind of yours, you can forget it now. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DEX'S DINER MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK!"_

"_...Crap."_

Revan smiled as she went back to haggling over parts with the Toydarian.

_**Despite my head feeling like it's stuffed with cotton and helium, I went ahead and posted this chapter. Was it hard? Yeah. Did I enjoy it? Normally I would have, but not this time. Luckily for you guys, I had nothing better to do stuck in bed, so I figured, "What the hell, why not?" and did it anyway. Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter.**_

_**As for the hentai scene (porn, for those of you who are not like me, and are less-educated in the finer arts of perversion), it had been requested by multiple people, via multiple reviews, so I went ahead and put one in there. Now, I will not be making every chapter with a built-in sex scene, so for those of you looking forward to every chapter just to get your rocks off: Sorry, but no dice. I will be including more scenes, however, so some of you can look forward to that. If you were appalled at the content this chapter contained, let me remind you of two things:**_

_**1. This thing is Rated M for a reason (MULTIPLE reasons, for that matter). It includes Language, Violent Content, Sexual Content, Sexual Scenarios, and General Tomfoolery. You have been warned, and I will not be warning you a second time.**_

_**2. If you don't like it, don't read it. No one is pointing a Desert Eagle at your head, and making you do it. If you are dissatisfied with the quality and/or content of this fanfiction, do what I do when I dislike the way a fanfiction is written: STOP READING IT! It's not the end of humanity as we know it if a fanfiction is not written the way you want it to be. If you want fanfiction to be written a certain way, to have certain actions/phrases/scenes in it, do it yourself.**_

_**Again, that rant ^^^ up there is for people who are dissatisfied with the way things are progressing. I am not trying to be mean, but I've seen many comments/reviews on some stories I've liked, and while suggestions are appreciated, and even welcomed, destructive criticism and negative comments are not.**_

_**Also, for the record: If an author you like has not been posting for a while, assume they have some business of some sort to take care of, and that they are too busy to continue the story. I'm including this because I've seen way too many people ranting and raving at authors like Ero Slacker Micha, simply because they are too busy, with either family issues that NEED to be dealt with, or are going to college, are sick, or are simply having writer's block. Knock it off. Leave them alone. Cut the crap. Just because your favorite story/stories have not been updated recently does not give you the right to harass the writers of said stories. If they're busy, 9/10 they will get back in the swing of things eventually, and will continue the story. If you bug and harass the ever-living hell out of them, 10/10 they will just say, "Fuck it", and quit altogether, because no one likes to put up with shit like that. That being said, I'd like to put a special Thank You out to my man, ESM, for allowing my to do this version of his creation. I hope his father is doing well, and I hope he, his gf, and the rest of his family are doing well, too.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Prepping For A Mission**

**Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

Revan snuggled against her husband's bare chest. They'd been back at the temple for a week, and she'd come across several ideas on how to rebuild HK-47. Most of it came from designs from the Trade Federation. She'd studied their droid designs, and with a few modifications, she would have a new body for her former droid by the end of the week.

Naruto's hand trailed up her back, and she smiled. "Morning, sleepy head." She said kissing his neck.

"Mmmm, morning." Naruto mumbled. Over the past week, he'd been locked away with Master Yoda, and neither said a word of what they were doing in the sealed room. Revan knew that whatever it was, her husband was exhausted each night, which for Naruto was definitely abnormal. She couldn't find any wounds, but that was probably due to his healing factor. Last night however, he'd returned to their chambers and without a word, proceeded to make love to her 'till well after their normal curfew.

"Are you going to tell me what you and Master Yoda are doing, or do I have to play 20 Questions with you?" she asked.

"Maybe later, I kind like that game." Naruto said, kissing her forehead. "In any case, I never got to ask. How's your research coming along?" he asked.

"Its going smoothly. I sent an order to a distributor here on Coruscant, and I should have the parts I need in a couple of days; HK up and running a day or two after that." Revan straddled her husband, before looking down at him.

"You're shielding." She said with a mock pout.

"You're snooping." He fired back, as his hands grabbed her hips.

"I'm your wife, I'm supposed to snoop."

Slowly they began to move, teasing one another. She leaned down to capture his lips with a kiss when the door chime sounded.

"Ignore it." She said, as they were both close to simply remaining in bed for the foreseeable future.

It continued to chime, however, and Revan was getting mad. She stood, and was heading for the door as the communicator on the nightstand pinged.

"You get that. I'll kill whoever's at the door." She said.

"Rev, honey." Naruto called, and she turned around. "Best put on a robe, dear. We don't want the individual dying from blood loss."

She looked down at her nude form, and grabbing a robe off the chair, she huffed and slipped out of the bedroom.

Naruto chuckled, before picking up the comlink. "Namikaze residence. The Senate building or the Jedi Temple better be under attack at this hour, or someone's getting a lightsaber enema from yours truly."

A chuckle from the comlink told him who it was.

"Master Yoda? What would possibly make you call me at this unholy hour? The threat still stands, by the way."

"Need you and your wife in chambers, we do. Matters to attend to, serious they are."

For Jedi Grand Master Yoda to say a situation was serious, there wasn't a doubt in Naruto's mind that he meant it, and he would bet his bottom credit that Yoda was probably downplaying the situation."We'll be there." He said, and put the comlink down.

He could hear Revan telling off someone, and from the sounds of it, said individual was about to meet a very unceremonious end if he didn't interrupt and save the poor soul from their grizzly fate. Sighing, and knowing that he was more than likely in for a rough couple of days (or weeks, depending on his luck at the time), he pulled on his pants and went to see who was there so early, and whether or not he would stay his wife's lightsaber.

XX

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a man of few..._very few_...pleasures, but sleeping in was definitely on the list of things he enjoyed heartily, and without shame to admit it, too. Needless to say, however, the unfortunate Padawan was not having a good start to his day. His master had roused him from slumber early, and sent him to wake Naruto and Revan, a task that he had no idea could very well cost him his life.

Had he known about the upcoming events, he would have told his master to shove off (a much politer version, mind you), and would have gone back to sleep. However, he didn't, and so, like a good little Padawan, he obeyed his master's wishes and went over to the Namikaze residence. In retrospect, he would swear his master knew about the consequences he would face should he choose to try and wake the two at the unholy hour that it was, but had neglected to tell the poor man, instead opting to resort to two age old methods:

1. Have your subordinate do the dirty work you don't wish to do yourself.

2. When it comes to angering Naruto and Revan Namikaze in any way, shape, or form, it's every man for himself.

He'd been standing outside their door, ringing the chime over and over for a good ten minutes with no results. It was only when he began to pound on the door like a man possessed did it hiss open, and standing there with the robe barely closed was Revan Namikaze, looking like the vengeful Dark Lord of the Sith she was pictured in the archives to be, lightsaber (deactivated, thank the Force) in her hand, and an unholy aura surrounding her.

Obi-Wan was caught completely off-guard by her lack of attire. "_Wow...um...wha...why am I here, again?" _Only when he felt the darkest presence he'd ever experienced in his entire life did he snap out of his perverted trance, and get a good look at the whole picture.

"_Oh, holy hell! I'm screwed. I'm completely and totally screwed. I can't believe this is how I'm going to die...Damn you master, why'd you send me on this suicide mission. If I get out of this, I swear I'll - wait a minute...a__re her eyes...yellow? Why are they-" _Obi-wan wondered, before she reached out, grabbed a fistful of his robes, and unceremoniously dragged him in to the room like a mother Kath Hound dragging her pups by the scruff of their necks.

Tossing him rather forcefully upon one of the couches in the living room, Revan glared kunai at the unfortunate soul. "What the frack do you want at this Kami-forsaken time of morning, Padawan Kenobi?" she hissed.

Obi-Wan winced, making sure his eyes never left her lightsaber in her hand. It was rare that she addressed him thus, so he knew she was not happy.

"I was sent by Qui-Gon to-"

"I don't care if the Supreme Chancellor, backed by the entire Senatorial Committee, and flanked by the entire Jedi Order sent you! Do you know what you interrupted? DO YOU?"

He paled as she then went on to explain to him just WHAT exactly he did interrupt. His eyes began to widen, before starting to bulge as she finished explaining and began cursing him out in several different languages.

"I was so close-SO CLOSE-to getting my nookie-time, and then you...YOU…you scruffy little nerf-herder, had to-"

"Rev."

Obi-wan nearly collapsed in relief when he saw his blond friend (scratch that, SAVIOR) coming out of the bedroom.

Revan growled at her husband, before whipping around_, _pointing a finger at Obi-Wan as if she wished he would spontaneously combust on the spot. "I'm not finished with you." Revan said, seeing Obi-wan's look of relief, which was quickly replaced by knowing dread.

"Leave him alone, love. Master Yoda wants us, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan to report to the main council chamber immediately. His exact words, not mine. Something big has happened."

Revan growled and stormed back to the bedroom, the door hissing shut. Obi-Wan then did collapse in relief and shared a look with his friend. "Your wife...is without a doubt...the scariest woman I've ever met."

Naruto chuckled. "Secret Ben. All women are scary, not just her." He entered the kitchenette, and got a cup of coffee. "You do know she's going to get you back for this, right?"

Obi-Wan paled. "I would be in your debt if you would find me a way out of said torture, my friend."

Naruto smirked. "We'll see...all good things come in time, my friend." He sipped his coffee as Obi-Wan groaned. "By the way, did they ever get the library sorted out?"

Obi-Wan looked at his friend and shook his head. "I thought the archivist was going to have heart failure seeing all the statues painted like they were. As I understand it, the Council was none too pleased, either."

Naruto smirked. "I did something similar when I was twelve. You all are way too uptight around here."

Obi-Wan looked at him. "Was hanging Master Took by his undergarments in the gardens something you used to do, also?"

Naruto's eyes hardened. "He insulted my wife. I've killed for a lot less, believe me. He's lucky that's all I did to him. Next time he becomes cross with me or my wife, he'll have the distinct privilege of becoming my sparring partner."

Obi-Wan had sparred with Naruto once they returned from Konoha. He had thought that with his Jedi training, fighting Naruto would be relatively easy. By the time they were done, Obi-Wan had to be helped off the sparring mat by his Master, who was laughing mercilessly at his humiliation. "I warned you not to underestimate your opponent, young Padawan. That doubly goes for Namikaze. I've sparred with him in the past, and let me tell you, he could beat me stupid with one arm and one leg tied behind his back. The way you fought him, you stood a better chance of trying to beat Revan."

He'd spent the next day recovering in a bacta tank. Now, whenever Naruto asked for a sparring partner, he would kindly, but firmly refuse. His shoulder still ached when he thought about it. Along with his ribs, his hip, his right leg, his face, his ponytail…

"Put this on." Revan said, coming out and tossing a shirt at Naruto. He slipped it on as she tied her hair back in a loose ponytail.

Obi-wan wisely kept his mouth shut as he followed them out the door. Naruto had no such compulsion, and he decided to test just how much Lady Luck really liked him.

"Really Rev, I expected better from you." At her confused look, he continued. "I mean, you look like you just rolled out of the bed after a wild night of hot, passionate sex."

Obi-wan somehow managed to trip on the perfectly clear corridor as Naruto was sent flying past him, adding a brand-new human-sized hole in the durasteel plating.

XX

Standing before the assembled Jedi Council, Revan looked slightly peeved, while Obi-Wan was keeping as much space between him, and the irate Jedi Master as physically possible, without leaving the room altogether. Qui-Gon was acting as his apprentice's bodyguard, a task he found most amusing, and Naruto was next to his wife, a large knot on his head, and several bruises and cuts to go with it. Despite his severe looking injuries, the lone Ninja had a grin the size of a watermelon on his face, before he was slapped in the back of the head by his wife. She gave him a look, and his grin was replaced by what he'd dubbed his, 'Serious Face'. Mace Windu, as well as Yoda and the rest of the Council watched the spectacle with ranged reactions. Most notable of those were Yoda and Mace's, one of barely concealed amusement, the other of mild irritance.

"Anyhow..." Mace continued, getting the attention of those assembled. "The Supreme Chancellor has asked us to investigate the recent blockade of Naboo." Mace Windu said to the quartet before the council.

"And what are our actions to be, should negotiations for ceasing hostilities fail?" Revan asked.

"Report to us, you must. Advise the Chancellor, we will, upon your findings." Yoda said. "Be careful, you must. Shrouded this is, in the Dark Side of the Force. The events that will transpire, much is unknown of them."

Naruto looked at the little master. "As careful as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs, Master Yoda."

Most of the Council, having not encountered either cats or rocking chairs, didn't understand the joke, but Revan's chuckle joined Yoda's.

"To Naboo, you go. Several days you have, to prepare before the transport's departure." Yoda said. The four nodded and bowed.

"May the Force be with you."

XX

It took nearly a week before the transport was ready. Revan had loaded HK-47 onboard, and spent a day locked away in the onboard workroom putting the droid's new body together. Naruto shuddered seeing the multiple arms, and began to question his wife's mental health when he opened a crate to reveal the weapons she'd picked up.

"Rev?" he called, picking up a blaster rifle and examining it as she was welding the droid together.

"Yes, dear?"

"What kind of weapon is this?" he asked.

"That...hoho, that is a Mandalorian assault rifle. The tube attached underneath is a thermal grenade launcher." She said, pausing to see what he was holding up.

"Care to tell me why there are four blaster pistols here?" Naruto asked.

"Well, he'll have four arms, hence the four blasters. I've also taken the liberty of adding updated targeting programs to his matrix."

So far the head had remained deactivated. Revan had managed to make a new head casing that would give the droid a more menacing look, which unknowingly to her allowed the droid to have a striking resemblance to IG-88. Revan had allowed Naruto to add the Konohagakure Leaf symbol to the outer casing, and she'd added programming for HK to obey Naruto, as it would already obey her.

"I'm surprised you got all this before we left." Naruto admitted.

"I paid a bit extra for faster delivery, but it was worth it." Revan admitted. Naruto had seen her vault, and had to admit that the amount of jewels, Republic credits, and overall treasure stored in the vast chamber meant she'd never have to worry about being poor.

He picked up the new head casing. "He doesn't look like much."

"His personality is what you'd be concerned about." Revan said.

The door chime sounded, and Naruto opened it to reveal Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "We're a couple minutes out still." Qui-Gon said. He eyed the droid, and the Jedi Master shuddered.

"A vicious looking droid you have there, Revan."

"Nah. He's harmless, unless attacked...or provoked...or bored." She said, making adjustments to the limbs as the other Jedi Master paled considerably, and took a few steps away from the workbench.

"What's that?" Obi-Wan asked, pointing at the cylinders on the droids forearms.

"Each arm has a personal energy shield. I had a ton of them in my vault." Revan finished up with the torso and sealed the chest up.

They sat watching her make adjustments to the droids body which she had painted a rust orange.

"Looks like you'll have to finish him up later, Rev." Naruto said when the ships intercom told them they were coming out of hyperspace.

She sighed, and stepped back.

Naruto pulled out a scroll, and after scribbling runes on it he wiped his blood on it and with a puff of smoke, HK-47 MKII was sealed inside a simple scroll for easy travel.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon blinked, and Revan smiled. "You should see what he has in some of the other ones."

Both Jedi saw the pack and Naruto smiled. "What? Everyone back home can do that."

Revan sighed. "Sadly, he's right."

"Can you?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Not as well, that's why I prefer to let him do it." Revan said. "My abilities are more…combat oriented."

Naruto snorted as he pulled his wife into a hug from behind. "Lazy Jedi." He whispered in her ear.

"Troublesome blond." She fired back.

"I knew letting you play chess with Shikamaru was a bad thing."

"He actually was a genius."

"Lazy bastard." Naruto said, and Revan knew without even opening the bond her husband missed his friend.

"We're on approach. The captain wants us in the cockpit." Obi-Wan said, shutting off his comlink.

The Namikazes nodded, following Qui-Gon and his Padawan from their quarters and heading to the cockpit to see where they would be meeting the Trade Federation blockade in space above the planet Naboo.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Naruto wondered, not knowing how right his feelings were about to be.

_**It's a short chapter, seeing as how we are just starting to enter Episode 1. I wanted to get the non-canon parts out of the way, so that the next chapter would be (mostly) full-blown cannon. Despite that, I've posted two chapters in one day, so I ask you this: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?**_

_**Now that I got my small bout of insanity out of my system, know that I am planning on continuing tomorrow...er, today...whatever, you get my point. I may or may not put out another chapter...*looks at clock*...today, but that would be due to my ever-present head cold that has been progressively getting worse. Regardless, I have posted this chapter...*looks at clock*...today, so if I get complaints, I can always use the excuse, "Well, technically, I did post it the following day...I don't care if it was 3 in the morning, daytime is daytime, even if the sun isn't up." Ahh, I crack myself up sometimes...anywhozle, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter, and are anticipating the next chapter, where we finally delve into Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Phantom Menace**

"Well, I have no doubt that this isn't just some blockade." Naruto said as the Republic Cruiser made its approach. "I mean, look at the size of this fleet-_scratch that_- this ARMADA of Trade Federation Control Ships."

Revan snorted. "Size, in this particular case, doesn't matter dear." She shook her head. "Why is it every megalomaniac you ever hear about has to compensate for their insanity with giant ships and huge armies?"

Naruto nodded, then blinked. "Wait a minute...if that's the case, then what did you compensate for, dear?"

Revan turned and slapped him on the chest. "That was Malak who wanted the army. I was…considering other matters."

Naruto knew better than to make a further comment this time. He ignored the playful banter between the pilot, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

"_Bad feeling? Sheesh, Ben, you worry too much." _He thought, completely forgetting the exact same statement he'd previously uttered merely minutes earlier.

"I've just finished making preparations with Docking Traffic Control. We've been cleared to land." The pilot said.

"_Great. Flying white-knuckled and bare-assed into the lions den, and me without my exploding tags." _Naruto thought bitterly. He'd been unable to make any new tags, considering he hadn't been able to find the proper paper and ink to make them with.

"_I'll have to ask Rev later if she knows where I could get paper and some ink around here. I'm pretty sure she can come up with something."_

He turned to see his wife looking at the Trade Federation Control Ship they were heading for, the docking bay doors sliding open as the cruiser made its' final approach. "Something wrong, dear?" he asked.

"Not sure. I don't know enough of the situation, but something feels…ominous, out of place." She said, hugging her arms to her torso. "Even though I've just arrived, I can tell that there is definitely more going on here than merely a bunch of merchants holding a blockade over a peaceful world."

Naruto looked out the window at the fleet of ships holding orbit. "All these ships, and each loaded with...what did you call them again?...Oh yeah, Battle Droids."

Qui-Gon nodded from his seat as he and Obi-Wan pulled up their hoods. Revan sighed, and pulled hers up, as well. Turning to Naruto, she handed him his set of Jedi robes. "Naruto, sweetie, put your robes on." She said in a sweet falsetto voice.

"No thank you, I'll pass." Naruto said, still looking out at all the droid control ships.

"Naruto, you will put on the robes I got for you, pull the hood up, and play the roll you've been given, or Kami as my witness, I will make sure Dex never makes you ramen again!"

Naruto's head whipped around so fast that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were sure his head was about to pop off from the sheer force and speed at which he did it. As it was, a sickening _CRACK_ was heard, indicating that Naruto had more than likely torqued a couple of vertebra on that last stunt. Not that it seemed to bother him in the least, mind you. He had much more...pressing matters to discuss.

"Y-you...you can't...you WOULDN'T." The blond breathed, the Jedi hearing and feeling his panic, made even more palpable through the Force.

"I most certainly CAN, and I most certainly WILL, unless you put those robes on, mister." She said, tossing a set of brown Jedi robes at her husband. "And don't you go making faces at me, Naru-kun. We've still got a long trip ahead of us, if my instincts are right, and you would do well to stay within your wife's good graces."

Obi-Wan had been privy to the wonderful scene of Naruto making faces behind his wife's back, and had jumped when she, without turning around, scolded him.

Naruto grumbled as he slipped the robes on. It was Qui-Gon who spoke next, barely concealing a grin. "You wear them well, if it is any consolation, Naruto."

Naruto grumbled. "I hate robes. They're almost as bad as formal kimonos."

Revan laughed, remembering the time she, Ino and Naruto went undercover in a brothel and Naruto was forced into his sexy jutsu form. They'd discovered on that mission that the henge...wasn't a henge. It was an actual transformation.

"Pleasant memories, love?" Naruto asked with a grin.

Blushing, Revan scowled at him, catching her thoughts.

"You enjoyed that time as well, as I recall." She said, and looked him up and down. "You look like a proper Jedi." She said, with barely a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Naruto smirked. "Of course I do. I learned from the best, after all."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, honey. Thanks." Revan said, smiling sincerely at her husband.

"I was talking about Master Yoda." Naruto said, a grin almost making its' way to his face before a Force slap across the face had him flip around before sprawling across the deck, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon wincing as he hit with a sickening _THUD_, followed by a groan to indicate he was not quite yet one with the Force.

XX

The small cruiser slowly made its' entrance into the hangar of the Trade Federation Battleship, deploying its' landing struts before coming to a stop on the platform, docking clamps locking the ship into place to indicate it was docked. The loading ramp of the Republic cruiser opened, and four cloaked figures disembarked, making their way across the hangar where they were met by a silver protocol droid.

"Greetings. I am TC-14, at your service. This way, please." The droid greeted, before proceeding to lead the quartet from the docking bay, ignoring the droid activity going on behind them.

They were led down several corridors, before being guided to a large blast door. The door opens prior to their arrival, revealing a rather formal conference room in which they are led into.

"We are greatly honored by your visit, ambassadors. I hope you will be able to make yourselves comfortable here. My master will be with you shortly." The droid bows rigidly before the four cloaked figures, then backs out of the room, the door hissing shut behind it.

Turning around, the four cloaked figures lower their hoods, and look out several bay windows, each giving them a glance at the lush blue and green planet of Naboo.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan commented.

"I don't sense anything." Qui-Gon says, looking at his Padawan.

"Nor I." Revan says, leaning against the wall while looking at the planet of Naboo. "Hasn't changed much from orbit, either." She mussed.

"Your just being overly sensitive again, Ben." Naruto said, patting the Padewan on the shoulder before sitting at the conference table and putting his feet up.

Obi-Wan sighed, before looking at his Master. "I don't think its about the mission, Master. It's something…elsewhere…elusive."

Qui-Gon put a hand on his Padawan's shoulder, patting it just like Naruto had moments earlier. "Don't center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs."

Revan smirked. "I think Benny-Boy is simply eager to get to the real action, is all."

"Lady Revan, could you please not take up your husband's bad habit of calling me by that name or making up new versions of it, please?" Obi-wan asked the other Master who shook her head and smirked. He then looked at his master. "Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future…"

"Yes, but not at the expense of the moment." Naruto said, having gotten the same lecture earlier from the diminutive Master during his lessons with him.

Qui-Gon agreed. "Be mindful of the living Force, my young Padawan."

"Yes, Master." Then, deciding to change the subject he asked, "How do you think the Trade Viceroy will deal with the demands we carry from the Chancellor?"

Revan snorted getting the attention of the others.

"If the Trade Federation is like I think it is, or if they are similar to some of the conglomerates I remember, made up of merchants and the like, then they are a bunch of cowards."

Qui-Gon agreed. "I believe the negotiations will be short. Whether that is a good thing or not remains to be seen."

XX

Nute Gunray looks at his protocol droid in shock. "What? What did you say?"

TC-14 repeated. "The four ambassadors from the Supreme Chancellor are Jedi Knights, I believe."

Gunray's companion panicked. "I knew it. They were sent here to force a settlement. We're done for."

"No, we're not. Distract them, keep them occupied. I will contact Lord Sidious." Nute ordered his companion.

"Are you brain-dead? I'm not going in there with four Jedi." He then turned to TC-14. "...Send the droid."

"Hmm...very well. Bring them some refreshments. Try to keep them complacent." Nute replied. TC-14 looked reluctant, but obeyed.

They waited until TC-14 had walked away, then turned to one another. Nute merely nodded, before turning to his center console, pressing several buttons in sequence. Soon, a holo-image of a cloaked figure appeared, seeming to stare down upon the Nemodians.

"What is it?" he asked.

Before Nute could respond, his companion, Daultay Dofine, interrupted. "This game of yours has failed, Lord Sidious! The blockade is finished! We dare not go against the Jedi."

The cloaked figure, now identified as Lord Sidious, twisted his face in contempt of the spineless creature that dared to stand before him, and tell him that his plan was doomed from the beginning.

He then turned slightly to face Gunray. "Viceroy...I don't want this _stunted slime_ in my sight again."

Having been cowed, Dofine slumped his shoulders and scurried away.

"This turn of events is unfortunate." Sideous pondered. "We must accelerate our plans...Viceroy, begin landing your troops."

Nute Gunray blinked, choosing his words carefully. "My Lord...is that...legal?"

Sideous snarled. "I will MAKE it legal."

The Viceroy knew that after the stunt Dofine pulled, he was treading on thin ice with the Dark Lord. "And...the Jedi?"

"The Chancellor should never have brought them into this. Kill them immediately."

Nute paled, but did not allow his fear to show in his disposition, merely nodding his head as the transmission ended. "Yes...uh, yes, my lord. A-as you command."

* * *

><p>In the hangar of the Federation ship, the Republic cruiser sat idle, the pilot and co-pilot amenably chatting away to ease their boredom.<p>

Unbeknownst to the two pilots, the droids that had once been amenably scuttling back and forth, going about their pre-programmed tasks, had stopped what they were doing, and were moving away from the consular ship.

As the battle droids were making their not-so-subtle escape, a defense turret began to slowly lower itself into firing position. Once at the proper position, it then turned it's cannons on the Republic cruiser.

In the cockpit, the two pilots were checking their equipment, making small adjustments here and there. Looking up, the co-pilot spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he came face-to-face with a locked laser turret.

His eyes widening, he grabbed his fellow pilot by her arm. "Captain, look-"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the turret fired 3 concentrated blasts at the cockpit, cutting through the hull like a knife through butter, and setting off a chain reaction that resulted in the complete destruction of the Republic cruiser.

XX

TC-14 entered the conference room while the four companions were talking. Naruto, out of habit, used his enhanced senses to try and smell a poison, while he watched the Jedi use the Force for the same thing, neither individual detecting any lethal toxins. Revan sipped hers while looking at Naboo, seemingly lost in thought.

"Something wrong?" Naruto asked his wife, rising to stand next to her.

"No, not really. Its just, the last time I was here was to help Bastila bury her mother in their family's crypt."

Naruto put an arm around his wife, and hugged her to him.

"Is it in their nature to make us wait this long?" Obi-Wan asked, seemingly annoyed at the drawn-out nature of the whole thing.

Qui-Gon frowned, his senses picking up much anxiety flowing throughout the ship. "No...no, I sense an unusual amount of fear, especially for something as trivial as a trade dispute."

The married couple heard an explosion resonating from the hangar, followed by a small hissing noise, and the Jedi at the table tensed before standing, lightsabers already ignited. "Gas." Obi-wan stated as he and Qui-Gon began using the Force to create a air bubble around themselves. Revan was doing the same, while Naruto pulled out a scroll.

Quickly biting his thumb, he swept it over the scroll, before a small puff of smoke revealed an Ame-styled breathing apparatus, designed for underwater travel as well as doubling as a poison filtration device. The room began to fill quickly with the noxious fumes, as TC-14 cowered in the corner.

Revan drew her lightsaber and ignited it, Naruto doing the same as she reached out with the Force. "_Those sneaky, cowardly bastards! There's a small squadron of battle droids outside the blasted door!"_

"_I guess Qui-Gon was right. These negotiations didn't last long." _Naruto shot back through the bond. _"And you say I always go looking for trouble. Maybe next time you'll believe me when I say trouble goes looking for me." _Naruto sent to his wife who rolled her eyes as they continued to use the Force to keep the poison out of their lungs.

XX

A hologram of Nute surrounded by battle droids appears in the conference room hallway.

"They must be dead by now. Destroy whatever is left of them." The hologram says before fading.

One of the battle droids opens the door, a deadly green cloud billowing from the room. The gathered battle droids cock their weapons as a figure stumbles out of the smoke. It is TC-14 carrying an empty tray. "Oh!...excuse me."

The protocol droid passes the armed droids, who stand there and let it pass. The battle droid with yellow paint on it, designating it as the commander, turns to another battle droid.

"Check it out, Corporal. We'll cover you." the commander ordered.

"Roger, roger." the corporal replied.

It had not taken two steps before two blades, one red and one purple, flew through the deadly green haze, slicing the droid into thirds and returning to an unseen individual, followed by three more individuals igniting their own weapons.

The commander took a step back. "Uh-oh...blast them!"

He barely got the words out before a greenish-white saber sliced his head clean off, the body clattering to the floor as Naruto emerged, charging headlong into the company of battle droids, deflecting blaster fire as he cut a vicious swath through their ranks.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed, deflecting blaster fire back towards the droids as they dismembered any droid that crossed their paths, arms and legs flying as their lightsabers hacked through the assembled crowd.

Revan walked out of the cloud, striding forward with a purpose as she used her purple saber to deflect blaster bolts and her red saber to cleanly cut through the blaster, torso, and neck of an unfortunate droid that was not quick enough to get out of her way. Flinging her hand outward, three of the remaining droids were flung across the corridor with such ferocity, that upon impact with the floor, they shattered into parts before skittering across the floor.

"I don't often do this, but I have to agree with you on this one, dear." Revan said, looking towards her husband who was decapitating the last battle droid. "I have a _very _bad feeling about this."

XX

Alarm klaxons sound on the bridge of the Trade Federation ship as Nute turns towards one of his bridge officers. "What is going on down there?"

"This is bad." the officer responded. "We've lost the transmission with the droids we sent to deal with the Jedi."

"What in blazes is going on down there?" Nute fumed.

"Have you ever encountered a Jedi Knight before, sir?" another of his companion asks.

"Well…not exactly, but I don't…" He pauses, before turning to one of the battle droids manning a control panel. "Seal off the bridge." He ordered.

"Yes, sir." it replied.

"That won't be enough, sir-" His fellow Nemoidian began.

"I want Droidekas up here at once!" Nute shouted.

Both Nemodians watched as the doors to the bridge closed tightly, Nute's companion, Rune Haako, shaking his head. "We will not survive this."

XX

Qui-Gon cut down several more battle droids, a shower of sparks and metal parts flying as the droids meet their untimely end. Obi-Wan raised his hand, and several battle droids went flying, crashing into the wall hard before sparking and dying.

They both turn to see Naruto and Revan finishing the few remaining droids off, both Jedi impressed as the pair looked like they were dancing around one another, their movements in perfect sync with the other as their sabers spun a whirlwind of lost limbs, scorched metal, and sparking wires, the droids falling to a heap on the floor before them.

Naruto and Revan stood and nodded to Qui-Gon. He nodded in return and makes his way towards the bridge door, slamming his lightsaber into the door, slowly but surely carving a hole through the durasteel plating.

XX

The bridge crew pauses as a loud hissing noise is heard, a green blade poking through the door to the bridge. The Nemodians become increasingly worried as the blade begins to carve a hole through the durasteel, the metal falling off in chunks of molten, twisted steel.

"Close the blast doors!" Nute yells out frantically.

A huge, very thick blast door slams shut, followed by a second. There is a loud hissing sound as the doors seal shut around Qui-Gon's blade, the lightsaber already beginning to melt the edges of the blast doors.

"That will hold them." Nute boldly claims.

Qui-Gon pauses, hearing the clanking noise of the blast doors closing, before he stabs the door again with his lightsaber. He is readily joined by Naruto, and together, the two green blades begin to melt through the doors, even more hunks of molten steel falling off as a large red spot appears in the center of the door.

"They're still coming through!" Rune Haako moaned, as they continue to watch the door helplessly, chunks of molten metal beginning to drop away.

"Impossible!" Nute yells out. "This is impossible!"

"Where are those Droidekas?" Haako yelled to one of the techs.

XX

Out in the corridor, with Revan and Obi-Wan standing guard, Naruto and Qui-Gon are making progress with the blast doors, having nearly penetrated through the final one, when they hear the sound of clanking metal.

Four wheel-like droids roll down the hallway at full speed, heading straight for the quartet. Just before they reach the end of the corridor, they roll to a stop and unroll themselves, revealing two twin blaster cannons on a tripodial form, various carbines interconnected with one another allowing a withering assault of blaster bolts to be shot from those cannons.

Qui-Gon and Naruto are nearly through when..."Master, Destroyers!" Obi-Wan's shout alerts the two to the presence of the menacing droids, and they quickly abandon their task, whipping around to face the known Jedi-killers

"Off hand, I'd say this mission is _way_ past the negotiations' stage." Revan says, taking up a stance as the destroyer droids activated their built in deflector shields, making them now all but indestructible as they opened fire on the quartet, blaster bolts flashing as they deflect shot after shot, bolts ricocheting off sabers only to do the same off the shields.

"They have shield generators!" Obi-Wan said in surprise, causing Revan to snort as she uses her two blades to smack aside incoming bolts.

"It's a standoff. Let's go!" Qui-Gon said.

The four dash down another adjacent corridor, avoiding blaster fire as they continue to move away from the bridge, the Viceroy and his companions watching the spectacle from a security camera.

"See? They are no match for Droidekas." Rune Haako commented in a pleased tone.

"Sir." an officer interrupted, causing the duo to turn. "They've gone up the ventilation shaft."

XX

Several minutes later, we see the four re-emerge from a very large ventilation duct into a rather large hanger bay. They pause, seeing the charred remains of the cruiser they'd come in.

They watch from a catwalk as thousands of battle droids are being loaded onto numerous MTT's (Multi-Troop Transports).

"Battle droids, thousands of them." Qui-Gon says.

"It's an invasion army." Naruto hisses.

"Wouldn't you say this is an odd play for the Trade Federation to make?" Revan asks. "They are not known for being overly aggressive. In fact, they are known for the exact opposite. They would rather run away then fight."

"In any case, we've got to warn the Naboo and get in contact with Chancellor Valorum." Qui-Gon says. "We'll need to split up. Each of us should stow aboard a separate landing craft, and meet down on the planet."

The others agreed.

Naruto has to hold in his laughter when he heard Obi-Wan's comment before they departed.

"You were right about one thing, Master. The negotiations were short."

* * *

><p>Back in the command center on the bridge, one of the technicians turned in his chair to regard Viceroy Gunray. "Sir, there is an incoming transmission from the Naboo."<p>

"On screen." Nute replied.

The image of Queen Amidala, the benevolent ruler of Naboo dressed in full royal garb, appeared on the screen.

"Ahh, it is Queen Amidala herself." Gunray commented. "At last, we are getting results."

He bowed slightly, before addressing the queen. "Once again, you come before us, Your Highness."

"You will not be so please when you hear what I have to say, Viceroy." Amidala replied. "Your trade boycott of our planet has ended."

Nute turned towards Haako, seemingly caught off-guard with this formal declaration. He turned back to the screen. "I was not aware...of such failure."

"I have just read that the Chancellor's ambassadors are with you now, and that you have been commanded to reach settlement."

Nute chuckled. "I know nothing of any 'ambassadors' You must be...mistaken."

Amidala's eyes hardened. "Beware, Viceroy. The Federation has gone too far this time."

"We would _never _do_ anything _without the approval of the Senate." was the Viceroy's reply. "You assume too much."

"We will see." were Queen Amidala's parting words, her image dissolving from the screen.

Rune Haako turned to Viceroy Gunray. "She's right. The Senate will never-"

Gunray rounded on Haako. "It's too late, now!"

Rune was not deterred, though. "Do you think she suspects an attack?"

"I don't know, but we must move quickly to disrupt all communications down there. We cannot let a word of this get back to the Senate, or we are finished."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Meanwhile, on the planet's surface, in the capital city of Theed...<strong>_

"The negotiations haven't started because the ambassadors aren't there?" came the question from the holo-image of Senator Palpatine. "How could that be true? I have assurances from the Chancellor that his ambassadors DID arrive."

Sitting around the holo-imager was the assembled council of Naboo, the queen positioned at the head of the gathering.

Suddenly, the image began to waver. "Senator Palpatine?" the queen queried, confused as to why the image was becoming unclear. The utterances of Palpatine's holo-image became distorted and unrecognizable, before the connection was severed altogether.

"What's happened?" she asked.

Captain Panaka turned to one of his soldiers. "Check the transmission generator."

As the man moved to comply, one of the assembled councilmen spoke up. "A communications disruption can mean only one thing...invasion."

Queen Amidala immediately dismissed it. "The Federation would not dare go that far."

Panaka agreed. "The Senate would revoke their trade franchise, and they would be finished."

Amidala nodded. "We must continue to rely on negotiation."

The same councilmen scoffed. "Negotiation? We've lost all communications. And where are the Chancellor's ambassadors?"

Panaka stepped forward, seeming to understand the implications of these recent actions. "This _is_ a dangerous situation, Your Highness. Our security volunteers would be no match against a battle-hardened Federation army."

Amidala merely looked around the room, catching the eye of every individual present. "I **will not** condone a course of action that will lead us to war."

XX

In the space orbiting Naboo, hundreds of landing craft proceed to fly towards the surface of the planet, each flanked by a squadron of droid starfighters. On board one, a very bored Naruto Namikaze wasted no time in messing around. Soon, the ship was filled with sparks as one by one, all the battle droids heads magically popped off.

"If anyone is curious, I'm so not paying for this." He muttered, wondering if Revan was fairing better in keeping her boredom at bay.

"_You broke them, didn't you?" _came the amused voice of his wife.

"_Well, yeah…it's not my fault nothing is marked properly." _Naruto ignored his wife's amusement.

"_Yes, well in any case, you did good. One less group to deal with on the surface. I'll do the same. Good work love."_

Naruto sighed as he leaned against the wall. He picked up a droid's head. "You know Bob, for something that's designed for war, you all sure break easily." He tossed the droid's head over his shoulder, and decided to look around now that he practically owned the ship. He smiled, seeing vehicles parked in the far end of the MTT. "_Wonder if I can drive this thing?" _He pondered. "_Nah, Rev would skin me alive. Last time I drove anything, her swoop ended up as part of the landscape." _Naruto thought of the time back outside of Konoha when Revan taught him to pilot her swoop, and the resulting beating he received for being a speeder-jockey and getting her precious swoop destroyed.

With that in mind, Naruto sat and started messing around with one of the now broken droids. "_I wonder if this feeling is the same thing Rev gets when she's working on one of her projects? This is actually kinda fun." _He thought, as he began to rebuild one of the command droids, his hands unconsciously rewiring and resetting parts, his eyes taking on a glazed look.

XX

Naboo was beautiful. Naruto stood upon a high branch and watched as the other dropships unloaded their armies. Only three others didn't, and Naruto, with his weak sense of the Force, could feel the three others. "_Well, Rev I know of through our bond. Master Yoda's been helping me sharpen my Force senses, regardless, and it seems to be working."_

He could also feel them with his Senjutsu-enhanced senses.

"_Qui-Gon's calm, not bothered by what's going on. Rev's…well my loving wife is giddy." _he sighed. _"Almost as much as the time we went to Kumo, and got Hinata's daughter back. And Ben…oh dear._

Naruto felt his friends annoyance, and reaching out, he could feel the Padawan's distress.

Leaping from the branch, he took to the next one, and the one after that, as he moved towards his friend, who in turn was making his way towards his Master.

"_Seems like Ben picked up some trouble. I'm going to have so much fun teasing him about this later."_

Naruto got there just as Obi-Wan pulled a typical soldier's maneuver, hitting the deck as Qui-Gon's green lightsaber deflected blaster bolts back at the STAP-riding battle droids(Single Trooper Aerial Platform), causing one to careen into a tree, and explode on impact. The second droid didn't learn from the first one's demise, and fired as well, only to have it's bolts deflected back at it, one catching it directly in the engine and exploding on impact, charred pieces rolling off into the underbrush.

It was then that Naruto noticed a creature standing up behind the Jedi Master.

"LOOK OUT!" he yelled, forming a Rasengan in one hand and throwing a three-pronged kunai with the other. The Gungan (You can guess who) turned, yellowish eyes widening as Naruto appeared right in front of him, courtesy of the Hirashin technique, and Naruto slammed the blue spinning ball into the creatures chest, sending it flying before it skipped across the water, and landed on the opposite bank, unconscious.

Naruto smiled, and looked at a standing Obi-Wan, and a stunned Qui-Gon.

"You okay?" he asked his friend, who nodded, and held up his shorted out lightsaber. "I sort-of forgot to waterproof it."

"You attacked a local!" Qui-Gon said in surprise.

"I did. It was rising up behind you while you were defending Ben. Couldn't let you get knifed in the back."

A snort drew their attention to Revan, who was sitting on a branch. "That, my love, is a Gungan. Trust me, they are no threat, unless you're a fish, or are very stupid."

Back-flipping off the branch, Revan landed next to Naruto. She held out her hand, and Obi-Wan's lightsaber was in her hand the next moment. "Don't feel too bad, Ben. I used to go through lightsabers like Naruto here goes through ramen...well, not nearly as much, but you get my point. Luckily this is easy to fix here and now. When we get a free moment, we'll have Naruto put a few seals on it, but for now..."

After separating the hilt and the top, she opened up the casing, removing some individual parts and blowing on them to dry them out. She put it back together, and with a _SNAP-HISS_, the blue blade sprang to life. She deactivated it, and tossed it back to the embarrassed Padawan.

They heard a commotion, and saw the now conscious Gungan coming towards them. Naruto had a kunai in his hand before the Jedi could blink.

"Easy, tiger." Revan said, putting a hand on his. "You hit him with a low-level Rasengan, didn't you?"

Naruto nodded. "Just enough to send him off, nothing that would cause damage."

"Messa wanna-" the creature began, but Revan waved a hand, and the Gungan's eyes became vacant.

"You will go home, and forget this happened. You will be careful, and warn your people of the battle droids."

The Gungan nodded, its' ears flopping about as it rushed off.

"Couldn't we have used him to find our way?" Obi-wan asked after the Gungan entered the brush.

"More hassle than its worth." Revan said. "Gungan's don't trust outsiders, and I doubt that's changed in four thousand years, especially with how aristocratic the Naboo are."

She looked at her husband. "Since we've taken out four of the ships and their cargo, we can salvage a speeder from one of them and use that to get to Theed."

Naruto grinned. "On it." He pulled out a comlink, and Revan raised an eyebrow. "Now, I'm not as skilled as my beautiful and talented wife, but I do stumble through on some ideas once and a while."

"Bob, would you be a sport and bring the car around." He spoke into the device, and the three Jedi turned as one of the droid tanks come crashing through the underbrush, before grinding to a halt in front of them.

Revan turned towards him, and raised an eyebrow. "Should I even ask what you've been doing while I was away?

"What? You taught me the basics." Naruto said defensively.

Shaking her head, she patted his cheek and climbed up towards the hatch, opening it to reveal the augmented droid inside. It immediately poked its' head out, staring eye to eye with her as she blinked. "Droid-"

"Bob." Naruto corrected.

"Fine...Bob," Revan continued. "Leave."

"Roger, roger." The battle droid replied, climbing out and stepped towards a tree. "Good job, my man. Power down, Bob." Naruto ordered.

"Roger, roger." Bob replied, before deactivating itself, slumping against the tree trunk.

The Jedi climbed aboard, and saw Revan had brought up a planetary map she had 'borrowed' from her transport. "We'll need to cut through here to beat the army to Theed."

"No, we're too late. Look here." Naruto said and pointed to the capital city.

Revan brought it up. "They already have control of the city? Damnit to hell."

Naruto smiled.

"We can use the tank to sneak in with the rest of the army, nab the queen, and sneak out without anyone the wiser."

Revan shot her husband a look. "You and rescuing the princess. I swear..."

Naruto shrugged. "It's a carry-over from my days as a Genin, dreams of adventure and excitement filling my head instead of sugarplums."

"A Jedi craves not those things. He cares only for the preservation and the well-being of the individual." Obi-Wan quipped.

Naruto looked at his friend, and put an arm around his shoulders. "Benny, Benny, Benny…you have much to learn, my dear friend. Some rules are meant to broken."

Revan snorted from the pilot's seat as Qui-Gon joined her in the tank. "You don't break rules dear..." She said, bringing the systems online.

"Thank you-"

"You obliterate them before pissing on the smoldering ashes."

Naruto pouted as the AAT (Armored Assault Tank) shot off, leaving a lone battle droid deactivated in the clearing.

XX

The waterfalls of Theed sparkled brilliantly in the mid-day sun. The city is seemingly out of some picturesque novel, with billowing clouds that frame the body of water as it cascades downward. Were Naruto and Revan here under better circumstances, it would make for a very romantic setting.

As they pass under the architectural overhangs, Revan brings the tank to a stop, and through the viewports, the three Jedi and one Ninja look at the city from across the river.

"Hasn't really changed in appearance from four thousand years ago." She said.

The Jedi begin to climb out of the tank. As they finished disembarking, a lone battle droid steps out of the nearby foliage.

"Drop your weapons." it states. The Jedi turn around, Revan noticing Naruto missing from the group. She spots him casually walking down one of the trees, a small Rasengan forming in his left hand.

"I said drop 'em!" the droid ordered again.

Naruto sighed as he leapt from the tree, landing behind the droid and causing it to turn. Cocking his left arm back, he slammed the mini-Rasengan into the droid, its' chest squealing and crumpling under the crushing force of the blow, before the attack sends it flying into the river, where the current carries it over the waterfall to the rocks below.

Naruto starts walking towards the bridge leading to the city, the Jedi following. Obi-Wan looks from where the droid was moments ago, back to the waterfall where it went over.

"Master, I have a favor to ask of you." Obi-Wan stated.

"What is it, Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon replied.

"Whatever happens in the future, make sure that I never piss Naruto off enough that he uses THAT technique on me. I don't think I'd survive it."

"One one condition, my young Padawan." Qui-Gon responded.

"And what would that be?"

"That you'll do the same thing for me."

* * *

><p>The three Jedi and lone Ninja carefully slip from cover to cover to avoid the patrols. They reach the plaza, just in time to see the Queen, her handmaidens, advisors, and guards being escorted out of the palace by ten battle droids.<p>

Using their respective powers, the Jedi reach a higher walkway above the prisoner transfer, while Naruto sticks to the wall, blending in with the shadows.

The garrison of battle droids proceeds to lead their group through a side passage, away from the battle droid and tank-infested Central Plaza.

Nodding to each other, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan wait for the procession to near their position before leaping down, igniting their sabers and catching the leading battle droids off-guard.

Not having time to react, the first two battle droids are taken care off with a double heel kick from Obi-Wan, the droids falling to the ground and sparking before shorting out.

Now aware of the ambush, the remaining battle droids start firing their rifles, doing their best to protect their high-value prize.

Leaping down as well, Revan ignited her purple blade, mimicking her husband's earlier moves, and carving a swath of destruction through the platoon.

The commander, seeing his troops being slaughtered, grabbed his radio and brought it to his faceplate.

"Alert, alert! We are under attack! Send backup, roger, roger!" it yelled into the radio...or, at least, it thought it did. When no response was forthcoming, the droid looked down to see it's hand gone, severed at the forearm and taking the radio with it.

Looking over, the commander saw Naruto shaking his head, his green blade in one hand, and the droid's severed hand (plus radio) in the other.

"Tsk, tsk. You should know better than to try and bring others to our party. It's a very exclusive gathering." Naruto said, before flinging his blade at the commander, embedding it fully into its' chest. Walking over, he yanked the blade out, deactivating it as the droid fell to the ground. "Not just anyone can join. You've got to have an invitation, you know."

"That's the last of them." Qui-Gon said.

"For battle droids, they sure do build them fragile." Naruto quipped, kicking the downed commander.

"Quantity over quality, it seems." She said, agreeing as she moved towards him to make sure he was fine.

Qui-Gon moves the queen and her surprised group to the safety of a nearby alley.

"Your Highness, we are the ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor." Qui-Gon said in introduction.

An elderly statesman named Bibble spoke up, "Well, your negotiations seemed to have failed."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "The negotiations never took place. Your Highness, we must make contact with the Republic."

Captain Panaka of the Queen's Royal Guard stepped forward. "Impossible, they knocked out all of our communications."

"Do you have transports?" Revan asked from where she was standing with Naruto.

"In the main hanger." Panaka said, gesturing with his hand. "It's this way."

XX

The hallway outside the main hanger was angled, so the group used the cover to spy into the hangar. Qui-Gon peered over Panaka's shoulder, the rest of the group behind them. They're able to see several Naboo spacecraft, guarded by approximately thirty battle droids, while in the distance alarms could be heard.

"There are too many of them." Panaka said with a frown.

"That won't be a problem." Qui-Gon says, sharing a look with Naruto and Revan, before looking at the Queen. "Under the circumstances, Your Highness, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us."

The Queen looked at him, her dark gaze never leaving his. "Thank you ambassador, but my place is here, with my people-"

"They will kill you if you stay." Revan interjected.

"They wouldn't dare!" Bibble says in surprise.

Naruto snorted. "How can you be so naïve at your age?"

Panaka interjected. "They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of theirs legal in the courts. They can't afford to kill her."

Naruto shook his head. "There are worse things to do to someone other than kill them. Torture for one."

Qui-Gon interjected before the blond could unnerve the Naboo councilman even more. "The situation here is not what it seems. There is something else behind all this, Your Highness. There is no logic in the Trade Federation's move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you."

Bibble, unnerved with the talk of torture and the queen's death, looked at her with fear on his face.

"Please,Your Highness, reconsider. Our only hope is for the Senate to side with us. Senator Palpatine will need your help in getting it."

Panaka shook his head. "Getting past their blockade is impossible. This course of action will expose you to a greater risk."

Naruto snorted. "Any escape has the potential to be dangerous. It's what you do with your chance that matters."

The captain of the guard shot the blond a look, but Naruto was looking back at the hanger.

"I will stay here and do what I can. They will have to retain the Council of Governors in order to maintain control, but Your Highness must leave." Bibble said.

The Queen turns toward her handmaidens. "Either choice presents a great risk...to all of us."

The one on the right spoke up. "We are brave, Your Highness."

Qui-Gon spoke up. "If you are to leave Your Highness, it must be now."

Amidala nods, "Then I will plead our case before the Senate." She turned towards Bibble. "Be careful, Governor."

She didn't see the look Revan was giving her and her handmaidens.

XX

The door opens to the main hanger. Naruto and Revan lead the way with Qui-Gon and Obi-wan escorting the Queen, Captain Panaka, two guards and three Handmaidens. They break off with the Queen and head for the sleek chrome spacecraft. Behind them at the door is Bibble and the remaining handmaidens and guard, the handmaidens looking distressed.

Panaka leans towards Qui-Gon. "We need to free those pilots." He points towards where twenty guards, ground crew and pilots are held in a corner by several battle droids.

"I'll take care of it." Obi-Wan says, Naruto following him towards the group of captured pilots.

Revan and Qui-Gon lead the Queen and the others, approaching the droid guards at the ramp of the Naboo craft.

"Halt! Where are you taking them?" the droid demands.

"I am ambassador for the Supreme Chancellor. I'm taking these people to Coruscant."

The droid seems to think for a moment, then asks again. "Where are you taking them?"

"To Coruscant." Qui-Gon repeated.

"Coruscant...uh...that does not compute...uh, wait, uh..."The droids begin to bring up their weapons, the commander pointing at Qui-Gon. "You're under arrest!"

Before the weapons are even fired, they are cut down as Qui-Gon's and Revan's blades snap to life, Qui-Gon slicing off the commander's arm before bisecting him, while Revan's blade finds the neck of the droid behind the commander, shearing it off quickly and cleanly.

As the two Masters cut their way through the droids guarding the craft, Naruto and Obi-Wan have proceeded to demolish the droids guarding the captured pilots and guards, Obi-Wan telling them to move before going back on the offensive, as more droids start to appear from around the hangar, his blue lightsaber whirling as it deflects blaster fire.

Naruto, meanwhile, is in the thick of it, slicing off arms, legs, blaster tips, heads. Tossing his lightsaber at a droid commander, the green missile reaches its' mark mere seconds after the commander grabbed its' radio, slicing through the limb and carving through its' upper torso before returning to the Ninja, who backflipped to avoid a barrage of blaster fire. Landing in the middle of the group of machinery, he goes through several hand signs, holding both hands out from himself before shouting, "Futon: Daitoppa!"

Obi-Wan looks up as droid parts begin to rain down on him, avoiding some and slicing though others as he looks to where they all came from, seeing Naruto stand back up and run towards him. Obi-Wan nearly shouts at his blonde friend to get down when he sees a lone droid aim at his back, but shakes his head as the blaster bolt finds Naruto's lightsaber, deflecting off the energy blade and taking the droid's head clean off.

Revan and Qui-Gon are already proceeding to rush everyone aboard the spacecraft. A pilot, some guards, and ground crew rush to the ship and board, the others heading for Bibble and his group.

After everyone is aboard, Naruto and Obi-Wan rush the ramp as it seals behind them.

More alarms sound, and droids rush into the hanger as the ship lifts off. They open fire, but the deflector shields absorb it without any trouble as the starfighter rushes out of the hanger.

The sleek spacecraft speeds away from the planet of Naboo and heads straight into the Trade Federation blockade.

The pilot navigates towards the massive battleships. Behind him Qui-Gon and Panaka are watching, hear the man mutter, "…communications still jammed."

XX

Naruto smiles as Obi-Wan makes sure the queen is secure. He peeks into an adjacent hold, and sees a group of small astromech droids that, in his opinion look like garbage cans. They all turn towards him and begin to beep in what he assumes is a greeting.

"Hey, fellas." he said, giving them a grin. Suddenly the ship, which had been jostling slightly, gave a large lurch, nearly throwing Naruto off his feet. Naruto watches as they line up and vanish up a tube. "Where are they going in such a rush?" he muttered.

"Astromech droids. They're going to effect repairs." Revan said from next to him.

"In mid-flight?" he asked.

"That's what they're designed for." His wife said with a shrug.

XX

"Shit, the shield generator's down." the pilot cried out. "Droids have been deployed to effect repairs."

"Well, this may not do us much good. We're losing droids. Fast." Qui-Gon said, looking at the onboard camera as yet another droid was blasted into scrap.

Panaka frowned. "If they can't get the shield generator fixed, we'll be sitting ducks."

The two remaining droids left was quickly turned to one, as a stray laser bolt caught another poor astromech, sending it screaming into the abyss.

"Shield's completely down." the pilot said. "If they manage to hit the cockpit-"

A beeping sound came from the center console, and the diagnostics changed rapidly. "Wait...power's back!" said the pilot eagerly. "...He did it. That little droid did it! He bypassed the main power drive!"

Flipping several switches, the shields roared to life, immediately deflecting multiple barrages of laser cannon fire. "Deflector shields up and at maximum." The pilot said, as the screens that had been previously showing error readings changed to clear, green screens.

On an exterior camera, it shows a lone blue astromech droid finishing the repairs, before going back into the ship.

The Naboo spacecraft races away from the Trade Federation battleship, breaking the blockade and entering hyperspace.

The pilot looks at a screen. "There's not enough power to get us to Coruscant. The hyperdrive is leaking."

Qui-Gon sighed. "We'll have to land somewhere to refuel and repair the ship." He said pulling up a star chart on a monitor.

"Here, Master." Obi-Wan says getting his attention. He pointed to a small, barely noticeable planet. "Tatooine. It's small, out of the way, poor. The Trade Federation has no presence there."

"How can you be sure of that?" Panaka asks from across the cockpit.

"It's controlled by the Hutts." Qui-Gon states.

"The HUTTS!" Panaka says in concern.

"It is risky, but there isn't an alternative." Obi-wan says defending his choice.

"You can't take her Royal Highness there! The Hutts are gangsters. If they discovered her-"

"It would be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Trade Federation…except the Hutts aren't looking for her, which gives us an advantage." Qui-Gon countered.

Panaka takes a deep breath and sighs in frustration.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." He mutters.

The pilot makes the course adjustments and the Naboo spacecraft rockets off in a new direction.

_**Whew...this one took me a while. Namely the whole day. The fact that I'm sick, however, makes writing fanfiction a much better alternative that sitting around, doing nothing all day. This is the biggest chapter yet, and I have a sinking feeling that they will only be getting bigger. Not to say that bigger isn't good, it's just very time-consuming.**_

_**Regardless, I've finished this chapter, and I'm very happy with the way it came out. I broadened it a bit, but overall, it stayed the same, and I tried to stick to cannon as much as possible...well, as much as possible when you're writing a fanfic, that is.**_

_**Still, I'm content with the way things are going, and I hope to get another chapter up as soon as possible. Note: I can no longer guarantee daily updates (insert screams of denial and loathing here). However, I can guarantee that, unless something like the issues that we had with the login access occurs, or something out of my control decides to rear its' ugly head, I will be posting new updates as often as I can, more than likely several times a week.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Prophecy**

Aboard the Trade Federation _Lucrehulk_-class battleship _Saak'ak_, in the main conference room, Nute Gunray and his aide Rune Haako sit at a conference table, a hologram of a cloaked figure bearing down on them.

"And Queen Amidala...has she signed the treaty?"

"She has...disappeared, my lord." Gunray said, much hesitation in his voice. "One...Naboo cruiser got past the blockade."

Sidious' disposition changed immediately. "I want that treaty signed!"

Gunray paled. "M-my lord...i-it's impossible to locate the ship. It's out of our range."

Sidious smirked as a second figure appeared in the holo-image, crossing his arms and glaring pure hatred at the Nemodians. "Not for a Sith. Meet my apprentice, Darth Maul. He will find your lost ship."

The holo-image faded, and the two Nemodians turned to one another.

"This is getting out of hand." Nute said, panicking. "Now there are TWO of them!"

Rune Haako shook his head. "We should not have made this bargain."

XX

Back aboard the Naboo spacecraft, in the Queen's quarters, the heroes assemble…

"Well, it is an extremely well put together little utility droid." Revan said, looking over the astromech droid as they stood before the Queen in her chambers.

She was itching to get to work on finishing HK-47 before they got to Tatooine.

"_I know my luck, or lack-there-of. I'll run into Tuskens or traders...Krayt Dragons…I wonder if Czerka is still active...nah. They were nearly finished before I left for the Outer Regions." _She thought.

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Captain Panaka with the little droid are before the Queen. Revan and Naruto are near the door, the Knight of the Old Republic and the former Hokage of the Leaf both itching to stretch.

The Queen and her three handmaidens, Padme, Eirtae and Rabe, listen as Panaka praises the little droid.

"…extremely well put together little droid. Without a doubt it saved the ship, and all our lives. No question."

Queen Amidala nods her head, along with everyone in the room. "It is to be commended. What is its number?"

The droid lets out a series of beeps and whistles as Captain Panaka leans over the droid, scrapes some dirt off the side, and reads the number aloud. "R2-D2, your Highness."

Amidala gives a slight bow of her head. "Thank you, Artoo-Detoo. You have proven very loyal." She pauses, the little astromech beeping in gratitude."Padme!"

The handmaiden steps forward and bows to the queen. Naruto nudges his wife, who nods, but holds a finger up to her lips as the Queen continues speaking.

"Clean this droid up the best you can. It deserves our gratitude." She looks at Panaka. "Continue your report, Captain."

Panaka looks nervously at the Jedi, and Qui-Gon steps forward. "Your Highness, we are heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It is a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation. There, we will hopefully be able to make the needed repairs, and from there-"

Panaka interrupts, not looking the least bit happy. "Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous. It's controlled by an alliance of gangsters known as the Hutts. I do not agree with the Jedi on this."

Qui-Gon looked the queen right in the eyes, expressing the seriousness of his next words. "You must trust my judgment, Your Highness."

Revan and Naruto seem to be the only ones who see the Queen look at Padme, who moves next to R2-D2.

The meeting breaks up with Amidala dismissing them and telling Panaka that she will take his protest under advisement.

XX

Revan was sitting before the frame of HK-47, every so often she would look up from her wiring and watch as Padme worked at cleaning R2-D2.

Revan could tell the girl barely had a clue as to what she was doing. "_I mean, a rag is fine for the first layer of dirt, but no tools?"_

Shaking her head she could hear her husband tormenting Obi-Wan as they came down the corridor into the hold.

"…saying that an alternate training method would be better. Master Yoda agrees with me, and even asked me to work with the younglings on developing one." The blond said.

"I can't believe he will leave you, of all people, alone with the younglings. That alone sends a disturbance in the force. A million voices cry out-"

Obi-Wan's mocking demeanor ground to a halt at the door, as his eyes landed on the red-robed figure of the handmaiden while Naruto obliviously went to his wife and kissed her on the forehead before looking at HK-47's frame.

"Orange." He said.

"No." Revan said.

"But that rust color is close. I'm just saying, a nice bright orange-"

"You'll be sleeping at Obi-Wan's if you even THINK about painting MY droid that _hideous_ ORANGE!" Revan said, looking up from the wiring she was doing in the chest cavity.

Naruto made a 'Hn' sound as he saw the changes she'd made. "What gives?"

"After seeing how crappy the Trade Federation's design was, I've made modifications."

While Naruto and Revan were talking, Obi-Wan stepped through the door frame, walking over and looking over the handmaiden's shoulder.

"Hello, there."

Both Padme and Artoo jump, not expecting him to be standing there. Revan and Naruto smile seeing the embarrassed look on the Padawan's face.

"I'm terribly sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you." He said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"That's all right." Padme says, picking up her dropped rag.

Obi-Wan was quietly watching as she cleaned the droid. "I saw some oil back there earlier, would you like me to get it for you?"

Padme looked at him and smiled. "Yes, thank you. This little guy is quite a mess."

Obi-Wan goes and fetches the oil can. Bringing it back, he hands it to her.

"There you go, miss..."

"Padme, I attend her Highness, you're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"

"Forgive me, Padme, where are my manners? I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi. And no, I am merely a Padawan apprentice. I haven't taken my Knight trials yet." Obi-wan corrects her.

"So, they sent four Jedi to help us?" Padme asks.

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "Master Qui-Gon and Master Revan are the fully-trained Jedi. I'm a Padawan learner still, and Naruto…" he looks at the blond, who is helping his wife with the adjustments on their droid.

"Well, Naruto is Revan's husband, and a warrior of renowned strength from his world. He is also Force-Sensitive."

He smiled as he watched the Namikazes bickering back and forth, Revan doing most of the bickering.

"No, dear, that one goes here, then this one goes there." Revan said with a hint of frustration.

"Husband? I thought Jedi weren't allowed to marry?" Padme looked up from her task. Obi-Wan crouched on the opposite side of R2-D2, using another rag to work on some scoring marks.

"Master Revan is a Knight of the Old Republic." He looked over. "She's from a time where the Code was different."

Padme's eyes scrunched up. "I know the name Revan. I just can't remember from where."

Obi-Wan smiled. It was not his secret to tell, so he decided to change the topic. "So, milady, you are in the service of the Queen? Sounds like quite an interesting job, if you ask me."

Padme shrugs. "Her Highness does what she thinks is best for her people-"

"DAMNIT, NARUTO!" Revan yelled, and the Handmaiden and Padawan turn to see a cloud of smoke coming from the chest of the droid, Revan's hands around her husband's throat as she seemingly proceeded to throttle the Living Force out of him, the occasional whispered plea of, "I didn't...*hack*...know it would do that." coming from the blonde menace.

"What are they doing?" Padme asks.

"Revan's original droid was…damaged too badly to fix. So she retrieved its core and is modifying a droid chassis she acquired."

"No, I meant why is she trying to kill him?"

"Oh...uh...they have a...unique...relationship. Let's just say Revan has a temper, and it's best to not piss her off."

As Revan released all her pent-up frustrations on her husband's windpipe, sparks began coming from HK-47's main components. All four individuals, plus one droid, turned at the sound of a low hum.

"Statement: It's about time you got me fixed, Revan!" came from the droid. "Query: Who's the meatbag you're strangling to death there? Gleeful Statement: It looks like fun. Inquiry: May I assist?"

Naruto's voice, while muffled by his wife's hands around his neck, was still heard. "Fuck me, it worked."

XX

Qui-Gon and Captain Panaka arrived outside the ship's workshop, having heard yelling combined with the sound of, to them, at least, a wampa being strangled to death. They entered the hold to find a strange droid with four arms wide open, holding tools in each of its' hands as its' blood-red optics focusing on the people in the hold.

Revan was laughing and kissing her husband, who was flailing his arms in what looked to be a desperate attempt to get oxygen. Off to the side, Padme, R2-D2 and Obi-Wan watched with unconcealed awe as the droid went to work on itself.

"Clarification: Master should step away from the meatbag. Condescending tone: Remember the last meatbag you were doing that to master?"

"What in the name of the moons of Vega is that?" Panaka asked, his hand going towards his blaster.

Revan pulled away, dropping Naruto unceremoniously to the floor as she turned, hearing the sound of a blaster being removed from its' holster. "Stop! Draw that weapon, and you'll acti-" was as far as she got as Panaka pulled his blaster…

And found his arm pinned to the bulkhead by a screwdriver, the tool embedded in his glove. His eyes went to the droid which held three more tools menacingly at the Royal Guard.

"Statement: Go ahead meatbag. Make my day." HK-47 stated, before going back to work on his own chassis.

"Joyous Exclamation: Master, you have done outstanding work, as always." The droid said with a hint of happiness in it voice.

"Thank you old friend." Revan said, approaching the droid and ignoring Panaka who was stuck to the wall.

"HK-47!" she said. "Voice Recognization."

"Voice Recognition Confirmed." The droid froze, its optics focusing on its' creator.

"HK-47, I wish to introduce you to my husband." Revan said, as Naruto stepped up and put an arm around his wife's waist.

"Hey HK." Naruto said. "Rev's told me so much about you."

"Interested Statement: Master has told me nothing of you, meatbag." The assassin droid said.

"HK, you will answer to and respect Naruto as if he was me. Confirm command." Revan said.

Silence as the droids optics dimmed a moment, then came back. "Corrective Argument: Master, are you certain you wish to give-"

"Confirm command now! Naruto Namikaze's commands and safety will be as important as my own. Confirm."

Those watching could almost hear the whine as HK-47 spoke. "Confirmed Command. Master. Naruto Namikaze is listed as priority Alpha. Master's as well."

"Thank you, HK. I am sure you will appreciate my husband as much as I do." She smiled at the droid. "He is after all a powerful warrior, and his skills lead to chaos and destruction."

"Inquiry: Chaos and destruction?"

Naruto smiled. "My people use techniques for battle and assassination."

"Happy Correction to Previous Statement: Perhaps new meatbag has redeeming qualities, after all."

Panaka looked at Qui-Gon. "You can't let that thing loose on the ship with the Queen. It sounds…"

"Homicidal?" Obi-Wan placed his input.

"Yes."

Obi-Wan shared a look with his master from where he was with Padme. "And he's going to get along with Naruto."

The handmaiden, captain and Padawan watched as the Jedi Master shuddered, as they watched the trio on the other side of the hold talking.

Artoo let out a low warble, Obi-Wan nodded. "I too have a feeling things just got a whole lot more complicated."

XX

Panaka, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are looking over the pilots shoulder. A large yellow planet appears directly ahead. The pilot is looking at the scopes.

"That's it. Tatooine." Obi-Wan says.

"There's a settlement, a spaceport, looks like."

"Land near the outskirts. We don't want to attract any attention." Qui-Gon says.

Revan stepped up behind that. "And that would attract more."

"What do you mean?" Panaka asks.

"Ollie?"

"Yes, Master Revan?" the pilot says.

"Get clearance to land at the spaceport." She looks at the scope. "Mos Espa? That's new."

"Not really." The pilot says. "Its been around for about two hundred years. Anchorhead has been around forever, I believe."

Revan smiles at that. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She turned back to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, the displeased look on Panaka's face ignored completely.

"By landing outside in the desert, that attracts more attention. Landing at the spaceport blends us in with the rest of the traffic."

"But the Queen's safety-" Panaka began.

"Will not be compromised. This will be safer, trust me. Just post people at the ramp, and don't let anyone onboard without explicit clearance from either us, or the queen."

Behind them, they heard a bark of laughter as Naruto joined them. "Gizka." He muttered. He looked at Revan. "I've got HK outfitted. He wishes to examine some of my skills once we land. Mentioned something about hunting?"

Revan shook her head. "Not sure if that's still allowed, but he will be coming with us."

"Us?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Of course, Master Jinn. Naruto, Obi-Wan, myself, and two droids shall venture into the town and look for parts. You will stay, and protect the queen along with Captain Panaka."

Qui-Gon looked rather put out that he was being told to stay behind, while his Padawan was getting to go off ship, but Revan was technically senior master on the mission.

"One of us would need to remain behind, and while I'm a bit dated, I'm better suited to be amongst the population of Tatooine. I can't leave Naruto behind as he'd drive you, the Queen and everyone else up the wall, and HK would shoot first and apologize over your smoldering corpse later."

"And my Padawan?" he asked, with a smile on his lips.

"A learning experience for him." She said quickly.

Not finding an argument he could use to his advantage, he nodded.

* * *

><p>The boarding ramp was down and Revan was walking towards it, with her husband and droid behind her.<p>

She had ignored Panaka's whining about exposing the Queen to danger, and how they should have hidden the ship out amongst the dunes.

"Tell you what. Captain, between the two of us, who's been away from Naboo more?" she finally said.

"The Hutts are vile beasts-" He tried.

"And I'm a former Sith Lord. Deal with it." She spun on her heel and walked away while the man sputtered.

"Rev-hime?" Naruto asked pulling up the hood of his robe.

"It hasn't changed much." She muttered.

"Rev?"

"Sorry, love." She said and turned to him. She stopped whatever she was about to say as she saw Captain Panaka come down the ramp with the Queen's Handmaiden.

_Pavarti? Pallie? Paulie? No, Padme._

"Her Highness wishes to learn more about this planet, and requests you take her handmaiden with you." He said once they caught up with them.

"No, not taking requests today."

She looked back to the ship as Obi-Wan finally joined them.

"Took you long enough padawan." She said, ignoring Panaka sputtered protests.

"Sorry Master Revan. Had trouble getting to the hyperdrive to get its markings."

She nodded, and turned back to Panaka and Padme. "Very well. We'll make this a regular school trip and keep an eye on the kids." She looked at Naruto, who was slipping away slowly.

"And where do you think you're going dear?"

He paused and saw Obi-Wan smile.

"Oh, HK wants to do an analysis of the surrounding area to compare it to his memory banks, and I thought I'd scout around and keep out of your way as you got new parts."

She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "_He's shielding. Which means…"_

"HK-47." She said.

"Yes, master?"

"What are you and my husband going to be doing for real?" she heard Naruto's muttered "Damnit." and smirked. "_Can't one-up me that way, hubby."_

"Statement: Master's Mate has inquired about causing large amounts of property damage, and perhaps learning this unit's primary functions as well."

Revan closed her eyes. She knew having these two in the same system would be trouble. "_I just never thought they would start so quickly."_

She opened her eyes to find them gone. Just gone.

"NARUTO!" she yelled, and rounded on Obi-Wan who, in an act of shear bravery...put Padme between him and the danger of a mad wife.

"Padawan, fetch R2-D2. It seems we will need his services, after all." She looked at the handmaiden and waited until Obi-Wan was on the ship.

"Now, _Your Highness_, care to explain what game your playing."

Padme paled. "Wha...but...I...How?"

Revan smiled. "Both my husband I suspected something the moment we saw the Queen's reactions back on Naboo, and how you were the first to speak up, as if coaching her."

Padme sighed. "You're not going to tell, are you?"

"No. Both Naruto and I are used to decoys. Back on my husband's home world, it is a standard practice for many people to use a body double, or in your case, multiple ones. We will keep this under wraps, if you will turn the phrase. But, you WILL stay close to either myself or Naruto."

"What about Obi-Wan?"

Revan raised her eyebrow. She said nothing, and soon the pair were joined by the flustered looking Obi-Wan and the domed Artoo.

"Let's go. After we deal with getting the parts, we'll find my husband and droid."

"How are we going to do that Master?" Obi-wan asked.

"Simple. Follow the massive trail of destruction and mayhem." Revan said leading them away from the spaceport. "If all else fails, I'm sure he will light a signal fire if he gets into it with someone."

Obi-Wan blinked. "Light a signal fire?"

Revan nodded. "Yeah. Blow up the nearest building, and fan the flames until we arrive."

XX

Naruto sighed as he stepped out of the shadows. "Nearly as bad as Suna in the summer." He muttered wiping his brow. He looked at HK.

"Statement: What an unorthodox means of concealment."

"Thanks. Used to use the same manner when I was a child to hide from ANBU and Jonin."

"Inquiry: And these ANBU and Jonin were skilled in assassination and tracking?"

"Oh yeah. Imagine this HK, a whole village built around the concept of assassination, espionage and subterfuge."

"Thrilling Sensation: Oh Master, my circuits are in flux with the thought of what meatbags can do to improvise in such ways to make them efficient killers! Statement: If I were human, I would pass out from the shear thought of such a blissful idea!"

Naruto shook his head. "We'll have to work on your language skills, HK. You don't need to say 'Statement' and such when you talk. Now, lets find us a bounty office or hunter's guild."

"Recitation: Guilds are marked, and are usually near the port. A hunter's permit will be needed in order to collect any bounties we may obtain."

Naruto nodded as they continued to walk. He pulled off the Jedi robes and shoved them into his pack, as well as his jacket, leaving him in a midnight blue muscle shirt and black cargo pants.

"_What I wouldn't give for orange." _He thought. Revan had replaced his wardrobe since they arrived on Coruscant, and he had blues and greens and even a few rust reds and oranges in the darker color, but nothing bright.

"Is that a Hunter's Den?" Naruto asked.

"Negative. That, master, is a bar."

"Excellent. Let's go."

"Not an enjoyable past time, master. Statement: You shall not be like meatbag Rand, and hide in there."

"Um...wait, who? You know what, never mind. No, I want to see something." Naruto said, and the assassin droid was left with no choice but to follow him inside.

XX

The little group walks down the main street of Mos Espa. Revan ignores the dangerous-looking citizens of numerous species. Padme, however, is in awe of the exotic environment.

"Moisture farms for the most part. There are also a few indigenous tribes and scavengers." Revan said to the girl when she asked about the numerous species. "The few spaceports like this one are havens for those who don't want to be found."

Padme nodded. "Sort of like us."

Artoo whistles, and Obi-Wan listens as well, his eyes in constant motion as he's taken it upon himself to protect the queen's handmaiden.

They enter a plaza surrounded by several junk and spaceship dealers.

"I think we'll try one of the smaller dealers first." Revan says, after scanning the plaza with a practiced ease of experience.

She points them to one shop that, while small, has a huge pile of broken spacecraft stacked up behind it.

The trio and droid enter the dingy junk shop, and are greeted by a pudgy blue alien who flies on short little wings that sound like a hummingbirds.

"Hi chuba da naga?" (Welcome. What can I do for you?)

Revan sighs. "_Huttese, figures."_

"I need parts for a J-Type 327 Nubian."

The creature smiles a toothy grin and switches to basic. "Ah yes, yes. Nubian. We have lots of that.

He then turns to the empty doorway leading to the back room. "Pendake! Naba dee unko! (Boy, get in here now)"

Revan motions towards Artoo. "My droid here has a readout of what I need." She says and looks on as a disheveled boy runs in from the junkyard.

"_Hm, looks about nine, can't really tell under all that dirt, and those rags." _Revan thinks, and her eyes narrow as the Toydarian raises a hand to the boy who flinches.

Revan listens in as the pair speak in Huttese.

"Coona tee-tocky malia?" the Toydarian snarls. (What took you so long?)

The boy answers, his eyes down. "Mel tassa cho-passa…" (I was cleaning the bin like you-)

The Toydarian cut him off, "Chut-Chut! Ganda doe wallya. Me dwana no bata." (Never mind! Watch the store. I've got some selling to do here.)

The Toydarian looks back at Revan. "Soooo, let me take a thee out back. Ni, you'll find what you need."

Revan and Artoo follow the Toydarian, leaving Obi-Wan and Padme with the boy.

Obi-Wan wanders around the shop, keeping his hands to himself, knowing that anything around them could spell disaster, and he certainly didn't have credits to pay for anything.

The boy sits on the counter, pretending to clean a part, but his eyes keep drifting towards Padme.

The handmaiden is embarrassed by his stare, but musters an amused smile. Obi-Wan, too, is watching, and smirks as he sees the boy muster up the courage to finally speak.

"Are you an angel?"

That had not been what either teen had been expecting, the surprise on both faces clearly showing, one completely flustered by the question, while the other is managing to suppress a grin (for the most part).

Padme finds her voice. "What?"

"An angel." The boy continues, now able to speak confidently. "I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They are said to be the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They are said to be good and kind, they even are said to be so pretty that they make the most hardened of spice pirates cry."

Obi-Wan turns away, trying to control his laughter, but Padme's look tells him he's failing miserably. The two share a look, and he shrugs. Her look he understands as: "_Thanks a lot."_

"I've never heard of angels." Padme says with a shrug.

The boy shrugs. "You must be one, and just not know it."

Obi-wan muffles his laugh into his hand, making it sound like a cough.

"You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much about angels?" Padme asks.

The boy shrugs. "I listen to all the traders and star pilots that come through here." He smiles slightly. "I'm a pilot, you know. Some day, I'm going to fly away from this place."

Padme grins. "You're a pilot?"

The boy nods. "All my life."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since I was very little, three, maybe four, I think. My mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt…but she lost us betting on the Podraces, to Watto, who's a lot better master than Gardulla, I think anyways."

"You're…a slave?" she asks, and looks at Obi-Wan. The Jedi looks at her, nodding sadly.

The boy looks at Padme, a look of defiance appears in his eyes.

"I'm a person! My name is Anakin." He says, putting the part he was cleaning down on the table.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't fully understand." She looks around. "This, this is all strange to me, this world is strange to me." She admits.

Anakin studies her, his eyes looking at her intently, "And you are a strange girl to me."

Obi-Wan wasn't paying attention, as he was laughing too hard. His elbow bumps in the nose of what appears to be a tiny maintenance droid.

It instantly comes to life, grows legs and arms, then starts moving around, knocking over everything it touched. Obi-Wan panics, and tries to grab hold of it, doing his best to prevent further mayhem.

Anakin pipes up from his spot on the counter. "Hit the nose!"

Obi-Wan finally does, and the droid collapses back into its original state. He looks up sheepishly, hearing Anakin and Padme laugh. "_She's got a pretty laugh." _He thinks. Both Anakin and Obi-Wan watch as Padme collects herself, and straightens her hair.

XX

Meanwhile, out behind the shop, Watto reads a small portable monitor he is holding. He stands before the hyperdrive.

"Ah, here it is. A T-14 hyperdrive generator! Thee in luck, I'm the only one hereabouts who has one…but thee might as well buy a new ship, it would be cheaper, I think…saying of which, how's thee going to pay for all this?"

Revan smiles. "I have 20,000 Republic dataries-"

"Republic credits? Republic credits are no good out here. I need something more real…"

Revan cursed. "_Damnit to Oto and back. I knew I shouldn't have left Coruscant without other forms of currency, but noooo, I just had to listen to Qui-Gon. This will teach me to ignore my instincts...damn modern Jedi are too assured in their ways."_

"I currently don't have anything else." she says, raising her hand. " But credits will be fine."

"No, they won'ta." Watto says.

Revan sighs at the stubbornness of the Toydarian race, but she tries using a Jedi mind trick again as she waves her hand once more.

"Credits will do fine." She says.

"No, they won'ta! What you think you're some kinda Jedi, waving your hand around like that? I'm a Toydarian! Mind tricks don'ta work on me. Only money! No money, no parts, no deal! And no one else has a T-14 hyperdrive, I promise you that."

XX

Back in the junk shop, Anakin is talking with Padme. Obi-Wan is listening, but choosing to remain quiet.

"I wouldn't have lasted so long if I weren't so good at fixing things. I'm making my own droids…"

Revan enters the shop, a stormy expression on her face as she's followed by Artoo. "We're leaving." She says. Obi-Wan follows her while Padme pauses, and looks at Anakin.

"I'm glad I met you…ah…"

"Anakin." The boy says.

"Anakin." Padme says with a smile.

"Anakin Skywalker." He says.

Padme hesitates, then "Padme. Padme Naberrie." She says, and turns. Anakin looks sad as he watches her leave. "I'm glad I met you, too." He calls out as Watto comes in from the junkyard, shaking his head.

XX

Revan, Artoo, Obi-Wan and Padme have found a quiet alcove between two buildings. The busy street beyond is filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes, most of them looking quite unpleasant. Revan is talking into a comlink with Qui-Gon back on the ship while the others watch the street.

"You're sure there isn't anything of value left on board?" Revan asks.

"A few containers of supplies, the Queen's wardrobe perhaps. Not enough for you to barter with. Not in the amounts you're talking about." Qui-Gon's voice comes over the comlink.

"All right. Another solution will present itself, it always does. I'll check back later…You haven't heard from Naruto have you?"

"No, I thought he was with you?" Qui-Gon's voice takes on a hint of worry.

"He and HK are doing some...bonding. Never mind, I'll find him." She puts the comlink away and starts walking out onto the main street, but Padme stops her by grabbing her arm.

"Is that a good idea? We could be robbed or assaulted." She asked pointing out to the same thing happening up the street. Revan smiles. "Not likely, we have nothing of value."

Obi-wan, adds his own two cents, and Revan knew it was from him hanging around with Naruto. "Unfortunately, that's the problem."

XX

They were walking the market when they found Naruto and HK-47. Revan saw them as Naruto was scanning one of the food stands. His browsing soon turned into an argument with the vendor. She saw him grab his arm, and was halfway across the street when Naruto ripped his limb out of the owner's grasp, catching a hanging creature mid-swing, and flinging it at a nearby table.

The piece of meat sailed through the air, landing in a bowl of soup before smacking the face of a Dug, who, without even uttering a word, flipped the table and tried to assault her husband. He was nearly to his mark, before he was then unceremoniously slammed against the wall. HK had the barrel of his assault rifle digging into the Dug's neck. She couldn't hear what was said, but she'd never in her life seen a Dug turn that shade of color this particular one had before.

Naruto convinced HK to let him go (she also had no clue how he did that), and she watched as the creature scurried back to a stall.

"That was so wizard."

Revan and the others turn to see Anakin standing there. "You know that guy?"

"My husband." Revan says with a smile as Naruto sensing her turns and smiles.

"He was headed into some serious trouble. He picked a fight with a dug. A dangerous one, at that. He's called Sebulba."

Revan and the others take it they should know the name, but she turns and looks at her grinning husband.

"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you dear?" She asks once he's close enough.

"Me? Not at all. Vendor tried to rip me off and grabbed my arm, then I smacked his hand and it hit some kind of roasted rat. It went flying and hit that bug-"

"It's a Dug, dear." She said.

Naruto shrugged. "He came up and tried to throttle me, I took offense is all."

Obi-Wan shook his head at his friend. "You can find trouble with your eyes closed, my friend."

"Regardless, the boy was right in one way." Revan said.

"Oh?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow.

"You are heading into trouble. You left me, your doting wife, and for all intents and purposes eloped with my droid. All so you could go get your rocks off looking for something or someone to destroy/maim/blow up!"

Obi-Wan and Padme share smiles as Revan backs him up, poking Naruto in the chest with each statement. Obi-wan wonders what else could make her smile like that.

Revan grabs Naruto's arm and the pair start walking the crowded street.

Anakin follows, now curious about the strange outlanders who upset Watto, and his eyes drifted towards Padme, and then Revan. In his mind both women were the most beautiful creatures he'd ever seen.

A loud sound causes the group to stop. Hearing the abominable roar again, Revan sighs. "Your stomach…" as Naruto grins and shrugs his shoulders.

They stop at a fruit stand run by a jolly, but very poor looking old lady that Anakin called Jira.

"How are you feeling today, Jira?" Anakin asked.

"The heat's never been kind to me, you know Annie." Jira says.

"Well, guess what? I've found that cooling unit I've been searching for. It's pretty beat up, but I'll have it fixed up for you in no time, I promise." Anakin tells her.

"You're a fine boy, Annie. A fine boy, indeed." Jira says.

"I'll take four pallies today." He says, before looking at Padme, "You'll like these."

Anakin reaches into pocket, coming up with several coins. He drops one, and Obi-Wan picks it up, revealing for a moment his lightsaber. Anakin's eyes widen as he sees the legendary weapon. Shaking himself, he counts out the change he has in his pocket. "Whoops. I thought I had more..."

Jira waves him off, and hands a pallie to each of the individuals. Naruto looks at it, and takes a bite. "Sweet, like those berbil fruits Kankuro found in the north that one spring." He tells his wife.

She looks at Jira. "I know that Republic credits aren't any good…"

Naruto snorts. "Here, baa-chan." He holds up a ruby. Everyone's eyes widen at the size of the stone.

"Where did you get that?" Revan asked as Naruto puts the gem into Jira's shaking hands. That stone was worth enough currency to last her years.

"Well, HK and I visited a bar earlier. Got into a scuffle, took it to the alley. Let's just say those…what were they again, HK?"

"Informative: Dead."

Naruto laughed. "That is their current state, yes, but I meant what species were they again. They looked like pig men."

"Gammoreans." Revan said with a sigh. "You probably killed one of the local Hutt's guards."

Naruto shrugged. He handed over the Outer Rim credits he'd pilfered from the corpses. "Their weapons sucked, so we chucked them in a bin. Can you believe they shattered with a simple Raikiri?"

Revan shook her head at her husband's antics. "Well, now we have some currency that will work around here. Did you check out the Hunter's Den?"

"Affirmative. Master, only Sand People are on the roster, and Master Naruto informed this unit that he wasn't sure if you would approve until we asked you."

Revan sighed. "I don't. We will avoid the sand people this time HK. No disintegrations."

The others watched as the droid made a whining sound, and looked at Naruto. "Don't look at me like that. I know who's boss."

While they'd been talking, the wind had picked up. Shop owners are starting to close their shops.

"Gracious, my bones are aching…storm's coming on Annie. You'd better get home quick."

The boy looks at Revan. "Do you have shelter?"

"We'll head back to our ship." She said to the boy. There was something about him that was nagging at the back of her mind.

"The far starport near the northern outskits." Naruto supplied as he finished pallie, his eyes was on Revan's now and she moved hers away from his with a practiced ease.

"You'll never reach it in time. Sandstorms are very, very dangerous." Anakin said stressing the word dangerous.

Revan sighed, but agreed. "_Hell that time Mission, HK and I got stuck out in the desert near Anchorhead, we were buried in ten minutes." _She thought.

"Come with me. Hurry!" Anakin said as he turned down a street.

The group followed the boy as he rushed down several windy streets.

Naruto looked at his wife as the sand kicked up, the storm already making visibility difficult. "Who is this kid?"

_**Another chapter finished, and not as many additions as the last one. This is a pretty uneventful chapter, but a necessary one, as it lays groundwork for further interactions with Anakin and group.**_

_**I am now officially sick as a dog (I've seen a sick dog. They look like they want you to put them out of their misery, and I can't blame them). I'll tell you, being cooped up all day is boring, but being seriously sick on top of it just compounds the torture.**_

_**Regardless, look forward to the next chapter, as we should start to see a little more action, at least. A guaranteed meeting with Darth Maul, and at least one lightsaber fight that I will most definitely be ramping up. Until next time,**_

_**May the Force be with you, Dattebayo!**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Solutions Presenting Themselves**

The group follows Anakin down another street and into a hovel. They enter a small living space as Anakin calls out, "MOM! MOM! I'm home."

HK-47 looks around, and shakes his head. "Statement: The unit would rather face the sandstorm than this disgustingly cozy home."

"HK, behave, or I'll remove your targeting programs." Revan scolded, just before a woman who looks to be in her early forties enters. Upon seeing the ragtag group of individuals in her home, amongst them her son, her eyes widen briefly before she starts walking over to them.

"Oh my! Annie…what is the meaning of this?" she asks.

The boy looks at her, "These are my friends mom. This is Padme, and…and er, I don't know the others…"

Naruto snorted, while Obi-Wan's whispered "Someone's gotta crush." to Padme had the said girl elbowing the Padawan in the chest.

Revan, forced to act as the responsible adult (as usual) steps forward. "I'm Revan Namikaze. This blond lunk behind me is my husband, Naruto. Next to Padme is our friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi-"

Artoo whistled protest had Revan smiling at the eager little droid. "I was getting to that little one. And of course, our droids Artoo-Detoo, and HK-47."

Anakin pipes up, "I'm building a droid. You wanna see?"

"Anakin." His mother asked, stopping the boy. "Why are they here?"

Howling wind answers, as does the boy. "A sandstorm, mom. Listen."

"Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter." Revan said.

"Come on! Let me show you Threepio!" Anakin says enthusiastically as he leads Padme into the other room. Artoo and HK-47 follow, the astromech droid beeping and whistling at the assassin droid.

"Correction: Perhaps small meatbag could be used for target practice. Approving Statement: You are surprisingly sarcastic for such a small droid. Statement: We should get along better than meatbag Zaalbar and meatbag Mission once did."

Revan looks at Shmi and pulled out a scroll, which she then handed to Naruto. "Let my husband make dinner. We have more than enough supplies, and it will be no trouble for us to do this for you, considering you let us stay here."

"Oh…thank you." A surprised Shmi said. "I'm sorry if I was abrupt. I don't think I'll ever get used to Anakin's surprises."

Revan nodded, knowing from experience as she shot her husband a look. "He's a very special boy."

Shmi sees the look, and smiles. "Yes, I know."

"Go, sit." Naruto says as he opens cabinets and pulls out utensils, bowls and pots. "Rev, I need that other scroll."

Shmi turned and froze, seeing so many green vegetables, and-

"_Is that…fresh meat?" _She thought.

Naruto caught the scroll his wife threw at him. "I said go. Gossip, chat about hair styles. Do something, but I don't want to see you in the kitchen. Go on, shoo." He said, ushering the two women out before he turned around and started to slice and dice the vegetables, already working on their dinner.

XX

In Anakin's bedroom, the young lad was showing off his droid, which was lying on his workbench. Despite the fact that there is only one eye in the head, and the fact that his outer coverings have yet to be adhered to his frame, Obi-Wan and Padme are impressed, nonetheless.

"Isn't he great? He's not finished yet, though."

Padme let her approval show. "He's wonderful."

"You really like him? He's a protocol droid…I'm making him to help mom. Watch this!" Anakin says as he pushes a switch on the droid, a low hum filling the room as it sits up.

"Oh dear…I can't see." It whines.

"Whoops." Anakin says and rushes to the other side of the room, grabbing a second eye from a battered-looking bag and pushing it into the socket.

The droid shook its' head slightly, both eyes now glowing slightly as it turned its' head to regard the individuals in the room. "Oh...oh, hello. I am See-Threepio, Human-Cyborg Relations. How might I serve you?" the droid asked.

"Sarcastic Statement: Self-termination would be a start." HK snarked from the doorway.

Padme shot the droid a look before looking at Threepio. "He's perfect."

"Oh…thank you." Threepio says.

"When the storm is over, you want to see my racer? I'm building my very own podracer." Anakin says.

Padme smiles at the younger boys enthusiasm. Her attention is drawn to Artoo, who lets out a series of beeps and whistles as C-3PO stumbles forward, walking on unsteady legs due to the lack of coverings.

"I'm not sure this floor is entirely stable" he then turned to Artoo. "Oh, hello. I don't believe we've been introduced."

Artoo beeped a greeting.

"R2-D2, a pleasure to meet you. I am C-3PO, Human-Cyborg Relations."

Artoo whistled and beeped, causing HK to emit a metallic laugh.

"I beg your pardon…what do you mean I'm naked?" Threepio inquires.

Artoo beeps again.

"My parts are showing? Oh my goodness! How embarrassing."

HK-47 hefted his blaster rifle. "Helpful Statement: This unit would be more than happy to rectify that with a new procedure."

Artoo's whistles sound like laughter. HK looks down at the droid before him.

"Joyous Statement: You are not as useless as the last cargo canister Master had. Certified Statement: You and I shall get along splendidly."

Obi-Wan, who had been on the other side of the room, was wondering why he'd followed the pair. He knew he didn't like the amount of attention the boy was giving the handmaiden, but he couldn't figure out why.

XX

Revan is enjoying her time in the cozy development, talking with Shmi to pass the time when her comlink chimed. "If you'll excuse me." She rose, and went towards the door.

Stepping into the overhang, watching the sandstorm roar away outside, she brought the comlink up to her lips. "Go ahead."

She listened as Qui-Gon explained the message they'd gotten from Bibble, and the Queen's reaction.

"I've kept them from sending a reply, but-"

"It's bait. They used it to try and establish a connection trace. If we haven't ever accused them of being sneaky, these Nemodians sure are hell-bent on earning that reputation." Revan muttered.

"I sensed that it was true, though. The people of Naboo are dying, and slowly at that.." Qui-Gon said.

Revan sighed. "Either way, we're running out of time. Ask the pilot if there's a way to boost our communication range, and send a transmission to Coruscant."

"I will. I'll check back after the storm has passed. Did you find your wandering husband before you were forced to seek shelter?"

"Yeah. Found him and HK negotiating with a Dug."

"A Dug?" Qui-Gon sounded surprised.

"Don't ask, and I won't have to lie. Take it easy out there."

She clicked the comlink off with a sigh. "Something rotten in Rice." She muttered, before heading back to find Shmi watching Naruto cook and telling his tales.

"Rev-chan can't cook to save her life." Naruto said with a grin. "Give her something mechanical to fix and she's fine. Put her in a kitchen, and you'll need a new one in five minutes, as the old one is declared public hazard. What she's made from said kitchen can be used as chemical warfare."

Shmi couldn't help but chuckle.

"I thought I told you no telling tales of my mistakes dear." She said sweetly, walking towards her husband with promises of pain in her eyes.

Naruto shrugged, and went for broke. "Not a tale, dear, the gospel truth. Even Lee with his iron stomach couldn't eat your curry."

Revan pouted. "I'm just skilled in other areas."

"And I'm happy to cook." Naruto said with a grin.

"So, how long have you been married?" Shmi asked.

The pair shared a look, and both shrugged. "We've been married nearly sixty some years."

Shmi looked shocked. "H-how is that possible?"

"Both Naruto and I come from a species that's long lived." Revan said. "_Not telling her that I'm over four thousand years old, and I'm definitely not telling her about the Kyuubi."_

They could hear Anakin's voice, but the words were too muffled to make out. Shmi turned to the door leading to his room. "He is so proud of his droid."

"Rev's droid, HK-47, was a droid she built as well. His old body was destroyed, so she got a new one and heavily modified it." Naruto said.

"Exclaimed Statement: DIE, SUBSERVIENT TRANSISTOR!"

"HK, NO!" came Padme's yell.

"MASTER ANAKIN!" Threepio's voice, followed by a blaster shot.

Shmi paled, then went to see what was going on, but Revan stopped her and held up a single finger.

"IT'S ALRIGHT!" Obi-Wan's voice came from Anakin's workshop.

Shmi looked at Revan, who merely shrugged. "Children. You know they'll find and/or create trouble." She said.

Naruto snorted, "And to think, none of them are ours."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Meanwhile, on Coruscant...<strong>_

Amongst the ever-present sky traffic, two figures cloaked in black slowly walk across a skywalk, conversing with one another as they reached a railing, looking out over the sprawling cityscape.

The light reflected off a passing skycar, revealing the red and black tattoos covering the Zabrak's face as he turned to regard the Dark Lord of the Sith. "Tatooine is sparsely populated. If the trace was accurate, I will find them rather quickly, Master."

The other figure merely inclined his head. "Move against the Jedi first. Once you have dealt with them, you will have no difficulty in taking the Queen to Naboo to sign the treaty."

The Zabrak Sith nodded, before looking out at the skyline, a smirk appearing on his face. "At last, we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi...At last, we will have revenge."

Still looking out over the cityscape, at the ignorant fools going about their daily lives, blissfully unaware of their impending doom, the faintest hint of a smile made itself known upon the Sith Lord's face. "You have been well trained, my apprentice. They will be no match for you."

XX

The storm continued to howl outside as the Skywalkers and their guests sat down around the makeshift table, to a rather large home-cooked meal. Anakin's eyes widened at the feast.

They begin to make small talk, serving up food as the droids proceeded to power down for the time being.

"All slaves have transmitters placed inside their bodies somewhere-" Shmi was saying. Anakin butt in suddenly. "I've been working on a scanner to try and locate them, but so far I haven't had any luck."

"Any attempt to escape-" Shmi was saying, but once again Anakin cut her off. "-and they blow you up….BOOOM!"

Padme looked horrified. "I can't believe there is still slavery in the galaxy. The Republic's anti-slavery laws-"

"The Republic doesn't exist out here. We must survive on our own." Shmi said.

"Add in if your wealthy enough, you can do pretty much anything. Even on Coruscant, the wealthy have slaves. Twi'lek females are prime examples." Revan said. Obi-Wan nodded as he thought of several of his fellow Padawans who escaped a similar fate by being found and taken in by the Jedi Order.

"Has anyone seen a podrace?" Anakin asked, filling the awkward silence that followed Revan's declaration. Padme shook her head no, while Shmi looked concerned.

"Well, Rev used to swoop race in her younger days. Isn't that right, hime?" Naruto said.

"Swoop racing?" Anakin asked.

"Before your time." Revan said with a grin. "Before they added those big engines. When it was more about skill than the power of the engine. Where the swoop bike and rider were the only thing that mattered."

Obi-Wan speaks up. "I saw one once, as well as my Master. They have podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous."

"I'm the only human who can do it." Anakin boasts, while Shmi looks askance at her son. "Mom, what? I'm not bragging. Its true. Watto says he's never heard of a human doing it."

Revan smiles. "You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods."

Anakin beams, and is about to say something, but his gesture whilst doing so knocked his cup from the table. Naruto, who is next to him, reaches out, his hand a blur as he catches it without spilling a drop. He puts it back next to the sheepish boy.

"Or ninja reflexes." Naruto shoot his wife a fox-like grin.

"Or ninja reflexes." Revan admits.

"Careful, gaki. It's better to be calm and enjoy things at a pace when you can." He said turning and giving Anakin a wink.

Anakin looks at the blond next to him, then at Obi-Wan.

"I…I was wondering…" he began.

"What?" Revan asked with an encouraging smile.

"You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I saw your laser sword earlier. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon." Anakin states.

Revan leans back from the table, a slow smiling filling her face as she shares a look with Naruto.

"Perhaps we killed a Jedi, and stole it from him." She offered.

Anakin shook his head. Revan was amused by his convictions in his beliefs. "I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi Knight."

Revan got a far away and distant look. "I wish that were so."

Anakin, being his youthful self plowed on, unaware of Revan's thoughts.

"I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves. Have you come to free us?"

Revan snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not-" she started to say, but Anakin cut her off with "I think you have. Why else would you be here?"

Revan and Naruto share a look.

"_Well love?" _Naruto sends across the bond.

"_He's a more annoying, younger version of you...you know, if that were even possible." _Revan fired back as she thought.

"I can see there's no fooling you, Anakin. You can't let anyone know about us. We're on a diplomatic mission to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic. It's a very important mission, and must be kept a secret."

"Coruscant? Wow." Anakin said, his eyes widening. "But…how did you end up here in the Outer Rim?"

"Our ship was badly damaged." Padme said. "And we're stranded here until we can repair it."

"I can help! I can fix anything!" Anakin said excitedly.

Naruto shot Revan a look.

"_Now he sounds like you, love. Did we have a child you didn't tell me about?"_

Across the way, Revan rolled her eyes at her husband. "_No, I'm still on birth control. I will admit though, the gaki does grow on you."_

"I believe you can." Naruto said to Anakin.

Obi-Wan added his own thoughts. "But we need to acquire the parts in order to fix it."

"And nothing to trade." Padme said with a sigh. "These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind."

"Gambling." Shmi said with a frown. "Everything around here revolves around betting on those awful races."

Revan saw the look on the woman's face. "Greed can be a powerful ally, if used properly."

Anakin spoke up "I've built a racer! It's the fastest ever…and there's a big race day after tomorrow, on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod. It's nearly finished-"

"Anakin, settle down, and you know Watto won't let you."

"Watto doesn't know I built it." He looks at Revan with big pleading eyes, "You could make him think it's yours, and you could get him to let me pilot it for you."

Revan sees Shmi frown. "I don't want you to race, Annie…it's awful. I die every time Watto makes you do it."

"But mom…I love it. And they need help…they're in trouble. The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need…"

"That's enough squirt." Naruto said. "And we're not in that much trouble." He stood and bowed to Shmi. "I am sorry if our discussion has caused you any pain."

"But-" Anakin said and then looked at his mother.

"Your mother is right." Revan said cutting him off. "Do you know of anyone friendly to the Republic out here who might be able to help us"

Shmi shakes her head.

"Mom, we have to help them! You said that the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other…" Anakin whined.

"Anakin, don't…" Shmi began.

"I'm sure Revan doesn't want to put your son in danger. We will find another way." Padme said.

Shmi sighs, thinking hard, before looking at Revan. "No…Annie's right, there is no other way. The Hutts control everything here. I may not like it, but he can help you." Her voice lowers, until it's merely a whisper. "He was _MEANT_ to help you."

"Is that a yes? THAT IS A YES!" Anakin whoops, while outside the storm continues to rage.

* * *

><p>"Well?" Anakin asked as he showed them the pod the next morning, after the sandstorm passed.<p>

Revan looked at the pod, looked at the sky. "This is Tsunade's revenge, isn't it?" she muttered.

Naruto looked at it, and scratched his head. He looked at HK. "And that's…"

"Comedic Comment: Little Meatbag believes that is to be a racer." The droid said.

"HK." Revan said.

"Yes, Master?" the droid stood straighter.

"Do you have a thermal detonator?"

"Joyous Statement: But of course I do, master! Eager Inquiry: Can I frag the little meatsack now?"

Everyone froze.

"No." Anakin looked at the droid in surprise, while Padme and Obi-Wan breathed sighs of relief. "But I am tempted to send you to talk with Watto for me."

"Joyous Compliance." The assassin droid said, and proceeded to head in the direction of Watto's Junkyard.

"Freeze." Revan said. "That was not an order, that was me being annoyed."

Naruto smirked, seeing the droid's skeletal shoulders slump. "Look at it this way HK, while they work on the pod, you and I get to thin the surrounding area's excess criminal population."

The droids eye sensors seemed to glow as it unslung the assault rifle. "Barely Restrained Eagerness: READY, MASTER!"

Revan sighed. "Go. Play. Stay out of jail." She said with a resigned sigh.

Naruto whooped and rushed up, kissed her, then grabbed HK-47 before the pair vanished in a shushin.

"How did he do that?" Obi-Wan and Anakin asked at the same time.

Padme looked shocked, and Artoo was next to Threepio, beeping that they vanished from his sensors.

"Its one of his many skills. Now, tell me about the engines." She commanded Anakin as she pulled off her robes, standing there in a sleeveless top and pants as she began to pull tools from her hip pouch.

XX

Naruto smiled as he looked at the datapad. "Bounty Hunting is easier than I thought it would be." He muttered as he looked at the information.

"Side Comment: Master, I am experiencing an abundance of overjoyed sentiments." HK said, as they returned to the bounty office for the sixth time in the last hour.

The scruffy human behind the counter saw him coming. "You keep this up kid, and we'll both be out of business."

Naruto shrugged and put the sack with the bounty's head in it on the counter.

"You don't want the live bounties?" the man asked.

"Nah, don't have time nor desire to haul them all over. I need cash, and fast."

"Got a bounty on your head I should know about?" the office worker asked as he counted out the credits.

Naruto smirked. "Nope, but anyone dumb enough to come at me gets to deal with him." Naruto jerked his thumb towards HK.

"Heartfelt Sentiment: Master is too kind. Statement: This unit cannot wait until you inform Mistress that you installed new weapons-learning software."

Naruto smirked. He knew Revan wouldn't mind, and the shuriken launchers on the droid's arms would be a nice addition to the droid's weapon arsenal.

"Nice droid, by the way. How come it isn't fitted with a restraining bolt?" the office worker asked.

"Doesn't need it." He looked at the bounty wall noticing a rather large bounty that everyone seemed to shy away from. "Hm…Sand People."

"Warning Statement: Mistress would not be pleased." HK reminded the blond.

"I know. But its better than putting all our eggs in one basket with that stupid race."

"Race? You mean the Boonta Eve Classic?" the Bounty officer asked.

"Yeah. What do you know?"

"I know to bet heavily on Sebulba." The man said.

"Sebulba?"

"A Dug. He's one of the dirtiest racers, but he's won the last nine races in a row."

"_Dug? No, it couldn't be?...Could it?"_

Shaking his head, Naruto grabbed a bounty off the wall. "Come on HK, we have a Rodian to track down."

"Bring this one back alive!" the officer said looking at the bleeding sack. "He's too good at this." The man muttered.

XX

Revan got the mental message from Naruto and she smiled, knowing her husband was right. "_Now, to talk with Watto."_

Entering the shop, she sighed seeing the Toydarian hovering by the counter arguing with the boy in Huttese.

Watto noticed Revan. "The boy tells me you wanta sponsor him insa race. You can't afford parts, how can you do this? Not on Republic, credits I think." The Toydarian finishes with a laugh.

"My husband has acquired enough for the entry fee doing some bounty work." Revan said with a shrug. "And if its not enough, then our ship will be used." She says, pulling out a small holo emitter from a pocket and a hologram of the Naboo spacecraft appears.

Watto studied it, before shrugging. "Hm…Unless your husband is Jango Fett or Aura Sing, then he won't get enough credits in time to matter." His big yellow eyes look at the hologram again. "This however...not bad, not bad. A Nubian."

Revan smirked at the greed in the creatures eyes. "It's in good order, except for the parts we need."

"Hm…but what would the boy ride? He smashed up my pod in the last race. It will take some time to fix it."

Anakin looks at the ground embarrassed, but steps forward. "Ah…it wasn't my fault, really. Sebulba flashed me with his vent ports. I actually saved the pod…mostly."

Watto laughs. "That you did, eh." Looks back at Revan. "The boy is good, no doubts there, eh?"

She nods in agreement. "I have…acquired a pod in a game of chance. I'm told it's the fastest ever built."

Watto looks thoughtful. "I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for it." He laughs. "So, you supply the pod and the entry fee; I supply the boy, we split the winnings fifty-fifty I think."

Revan mentally rolls her eyes. "Fifty-fifty? If its going to be fifty-fifty, I suggest you front the cash for the entry fee. If we win, you keep all the winnings, minus the cost of the parts I need. If we lose, you keep my ship."

Watto hovers there in the air and thinks it over, while Anakin looks like he's trying very hard not to be nervous. Revan adds the clincher. "Either way, you win."

"Deal." Watto says, and slaps hands with Revan, who leaves to make preparations.

Watto looks at Anakin as Revan leaves. "Yo bana pee ho-tah, meedee ya." (Your friend is a foolish one, me thinks.)

XX

Later that day at the Skywalker hovel, Revan is on the comlink with Qui-Gon, having not had a chance to return to the ship with the errands she ran.

"What if this plan fails?" Qui-Gon's voice comes over the communicator. "We could be stuck here for a long time, then."

Revan smiles. "A ship without a power supply will not get us anywhere. There is something about the boy we've encountered as well…"

Revan pauses, before promising to call him back when they have more information. She turns as Shmi comes out onto the porch. The two women watch as Padme, Obi-Wan, and Artoo help Anakin work on the engines of the podracer below in the courtyard.

"You should be proud of your son." Revan says with a grin. "He gives, without any thought of reward."

"He knows nothing of greed, despite being surrounded by it. He has…"

"He's special." Revan says.

"Yes." Shmi answers.

Revan watched as the boy was hanging half in and half out of the engine. Her own fingers were itching to tear into the heap that lay about the yard. "He can see things before they happen. That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It is a Jedi trait." In the back of her mind she could almost hear her husbands voice say 'Ninja too, dear.'

"He deserves better than a slave's life." Shmi says softly, her own eyes looking down where her son was.

"The Force is unusually strong with him, that much is clear to anyone. Who was his father?"

Shmi looked embarrassed, "There was no father that I know of. I carried him, I gave birth to him…I can't explain what happened." Her eyes looked up at Revan, pleading. "Can you help him?"

Revan let out a breath. Qui-Gon had been very clear on this subject to her. Her ears were still ringing from his lecture.

"I'm afraid not. Had he born in the Republic..."_Or four thousand years ago." _Revan added mentally, "The Jedi would have identified him early, and he would have become a Jedi, no doubt. He has the aura about him. But now…now its too late for him. By the council's standards he's too old."

"_Bunch of blind fools." _Revan added mentally.

She'd seen several kids around Anakin's age, heck even older, grow up to have incredible abilities. Abilities that sometimes far surpassed ones who grew up sheltered in the Temple. She didn't know what was said, but she could feel the boy's emotions.

_Oh, frack. He's strong, and at nine years of age. This is not only Tsunade's revenge, but I bet my diamond-plated lightsaber hilt that Vrook is laughing at me from the heart of the Force as well._

"Excuse me, Shmi." Revan said and rushed down the steps.

XX

"OH, YOU DID NOT!" Naruto roared as he looked at his jacket, which now sported a lovely new smoking hole in the side. If he hadn't spun, it would have pegged him in the gut. Instead, he did a little aerobatics, and it now had a lovely new addition to his already dust-covered new jacket.

"THAT'S IT!" His hands went to the familiar cross seal. "TAJUU, KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" The rundown cantina was now filled with thirty shadow clones. Naruto's lightsaber activated in his hand and the clones pulled similar laser swords. "GET'EM!"

HK-47 had just finished blasting the hired guards when his optics focused on his original master's mate. "Amused Statement: Impressive destructive capabilities. Sincere Statement: You are worthy of my master, Naruto."

"RASENGAN!"

HK-47, if he had been able to, would have smiled as the blue orb slammed into the Rodian. Naruto had explained that the attack ground and pulverized the insides of a target, therefore, it seemed like a technique that HK would most certainly love to use, if he was able to.

HK noticed a miniature humanoid, an Ugnaught, attempt to sneak up on Naruto from behind. The assassin droid brought his assault rifle up to take aim, but even before he'd brought the weapon to bear, Naruto, after years of sensing danger, spun around, turning the tables and catching the porcine humanoid with his guard down. A well placed rocket kick, and the small humanoid became a new fixture in the cantina's ceiling.

"Statement: Most impressive, Master." HK said, as his optics focused on the midget dangling from its' neck in the ceiling. "Most amusing décor you've developed."

Naruto smiled as he put a foot on the Rodian as it lay on the ground groaning. "Shut up. I didn't hit you that hard."

"Gleeful Statement: You can do it again, Master."

Naruto smirked. "I could, but the meatsack at the bounty office asked for this one alive."

"Weary resignation: Very well, Master. Perhaps we can hunt a Krayt Dragon, or even a couple of Sand People next?"

Naruto thought about it. "As long as we don't tell Revan."

"Compliance: Very well, Master."

* * *

><p>"I don't think this was the plan Master." HK said as they backed away from the Krayt Dragon.<p>

"Hey, you're the one that said there was a Tusken Raider encampment around here." Naruto said, as he sent a Juha Sho at the giant lizard, watching as it simply reflects off its' hide.

"Obvious Statement: Things change in four thousand years, Master." HK opened fire with the assault rifle.

The crested a sand dune, and Naruto swore. There were a group of Sand People sitting on the other side of the ridge with their Bantha mounts. HK, while they'd been hunting, explained about the known species on the planet that Naruto bet Gaara would have had a field day on.

The giant lizard roared, and the Sand People promptly scattered.

"They are easily frightened master, but they'll be back, and with greater numbers." HK warned, as the droid continued firing at the dragon, its' hide deflecting the blasts.

Naruto slid the blaster the droid had been teaching him how to use back into the thigh holster and growled.

"Enough of this shit."

He bit his thumb and his hands flew through the hand seals he'd learned when he was twelve years old. Maybe getting pushed off a cliff into a gaping crevasse was a good thing, after all.

"KUCHIYOSE: YATAI KUZUSHI NO JUTSU!"

HK stopped firing, and couldn't believe his optics as a giant toad appeared out of thin air, and landed atop the Krayt Dragon, crushing it under several tons of amphibian.

Naruto grinned a huge fox like grin. "That, my cybernetic friend, is the Summoning Jutsu, and this particular one is the Toad Summoning Jutsu: Food Cart Destroyer. I learned it from my master when I was fifteen, and we were traveling at the time I learned it."

HK looked from the smashed form of the Krayt Dragon that had taken explosives to take it down last time, to the giant toad that landed on it from a hundred foot drop.

"Awe-Filled Exclamation: You are my hero, Master." HK said, its vocal patterns registering the awe.

Naruto went and pulled his lightsaber, dispelling the toad before starting to slice the hide from the bulk of the creature. HK, remembering something Revan had done last time they encountered a Krayt Dragon, extended its' sawblades and proceeded to slice into the neck of the creature. Finished cutting a decent-sized hole, he reached into the creature's neck and pulled out a set of pearls.

"Offering: For you, Master. Mistress found them valuable last time we hunted one." Naruto used a basic Suiton jutsu to clean the blood and gore off them, and looked at the stones, whistling. He slipped them into a pouch, and hid that inside his shirt.

"What are we doing, master?" HK asked twenty minutes later as Naruto sliced another section of the dragon's hide off.

"Getting material. This stuff was able to block blaster bolts. I was thinking of a pair of boots, gloves and vests, belts and such for Revan."

HK nodded his metal head. "Corrective Statement: Mating ritual. Understood, master."

Naruto smiled. He was really getting along with the droid, and he was happy to see it had an odd sense of humor.

"HK, try those other wrist blades I installed. I believe Rev said they were coated with a material that could block a lightsaber…cortosis, I think. Let's see how they do on cutting meat. We'll cook some of this, smoke it for later."

Naruto set up a fire while the droid continued to work.

He could tell through the bond with his wife that she was annoyed.

"_What's wrong, love?" _he sent.

"_UGH! If we ever have children, remind me to never let them act like this little brat."_

Naruto wondered what the Skywalker boy had done to piss off his wife, when he felt a disturbance in the force.

"_As much as I'd love to talk, it seems HK and I are about to get in a fight with Sand People."_

"_Sand People? Where are you?" _Revan's telepathic voice demanded.

"_Um…in the desert with HK. Talk later, love." _Naruto said, and closed the connection to his wife.

He could feel her knocking, but decades of being married to the Jedi-Sith had taught him when not to pick up, and when she was annoyed, and at him, he knew best to stay away until sunset.

"HK, we've got company."

The droid stopped its butchery, the blades retracted with a _SNIKT_, and the assassin droid un-slung the assault rifle. Naruto heard it power up. "Joyous Statement: READY, MASTER!"

Naruto smiled as he saw the droid arm the grenade launcher.

"Oh, I fear the Sand People are going to find we aren't helpless as their usual fare." He said, activating his lightsaber with a _SNAP-HISS_.

"And I so need to work off tension before getting yelled at by my wife...again."

XX

"UGH! MEN!" Revan said as she glared at Obi-Wan, who was backing away from the very pissed off Jedi Master.

"I'm sure the boy didn't mean it, Master Revan." He said.

"Oh, he meant it." She snarled as she finished getting dressed by pulling on her robe and looking to where the said boy had retreated. "You get the parts?"

"Sorry, Master, but Watto claims if the pod isn't running, he's not fronting the money."

"Damn it to the black pits." Revan bunched her fists and for a moment considered joining her husband amongst the dunes to help decrease the surplus Sand People population.

She looked at the Padawan. "You guard that door while Padme is taking her own shower. If that little sneak gets close, hang him upside down and bolt his ass to the ceiling."

Grabbing a brush, she wanted her husband and growled as she brushed her hair. "_This is one reason I hate fucking Tatooine. Sand is coarse, rough, and gets everywhere." _She thought as she brushed her long hair.

She sat in the living room brushing her hair, every so often she'd hear the blasted boy move about his room.

"Can I come out now?"

"No. You're grounded." Revan said. "_Shmi lets him run feral. Well, not while I'm here." _She considered turning him over her knee for some of his smart-assed comments while they were rebuilding the engines.

"_Oh, he's good for one so young, but by the Force, I've been building machines since long before he was even a glimmer in his mother's eye."_

Shaking her head, she began to braid her hair. Her eyes snapped to the door as she heard the door to Anakin's room creak open. "GET THE FUCK BACK IN YOUR ROOM!"

_SLAM!_

Revan sighed. "Brat needs a good spanking, and manners to go with it." She muttered.

Artoo, who was sitting off to the side, whistled.

"You said it. We need a vacation, all right."

XX

Padme sighed as she allowed the cool water to rush down her body. It wasn't like a shower at the palace. "_But I do have my very own personal Jedi guard." _She thought with a smile.

"_There is something about Obi-Wan, he's kind, shy, honorable…" _she smiled as she rinsed her hair.

"_And he's standing right outside the door." _She smiled. She knew Sabe and the others would be disapproving, but there was something about the Padawan that she found soothing in his company.

"_And he gets all tense whenever Anakin gives me a compliment. Granted he's bumbling, but for nine years old, he's trying awfully hard to flirt."_

All morning, the younger boy had been trying to impress her. She laughed as his engine blew up, even more so when he lifted his goggles, and there were marks where his goggles had been. The rest of his face was covered in soot.

Granted, Revan had been less than happy, and down right pissed when the boy mouthed off to the Jedi Master, claiming it was all her fault, and that if she hadn't been messing around with his engine, it would have worked just fine.

"_His mother's off working and he's trying to act like a big shot." _Padme thought. She hadn't necessarily agreed with Revan when she activated her lightsaber when she'd caught the boy peeping on her in the shower, but she did agree that the boy needed to nip that in the bud now, before he grew up and became a total pervert.

"_If her husband was here, I think he'd have fed him to that droid of theirs." _She thought as she toweled off. She reached for clothes and blushed. "Oh, darnn." She muttered, realizing in her rush to get to the fresher and use the shower, she'd left her fresh clothes on her bed.

Biting her bottom lip, she made a choice, knowing it was either this, or rush out there in nothing but a towel.

"Obi-Wan?" She called through the door.

"Yes?" his voice sounded startled, and she could imagine him blushing on the other side of the door.

"I…this is embarrassing, but I left my clothes in my room…could you get them for me, please?"

Silence, then. "Uh...YEAH-er, I mean, yeah, I can do that. J-Just a moment."

She heard his soft footsteps carry him away, and she continued to towel off. She thought what it was like for him at the Jedi Temple. They'd talked about it a bit last night, and she couldn't fathom some of the rules and regulations he had to deal with. Master Revan's snorts throughout the conversation told her the Master didn't agree with quite a few of them.

"_Obviously, seeing as she's married. Plus, she uses her emotions, while Obi-Wan said that the Jedi in his age group were trained to suppress them, or control them to a greater degree."_

Lost in thought, Padme didn't hear the door open. She heard a sharp intake of breath and turned. In doing so, she flashed poor, sheltered Obi-Wan, who dropped her clothes to the floor, his face turning as red as she'd ever seen, and was blown backward by a massive nosebleed.

Padme blushed heavily, secured the towel around her, and rushed to make sure that he was okay.

XX

Revan watched from her position on the bed as Obi-Wan entered the room where they'd all slept. She'd not been happy with the arrangements, as she wasn't allowed to sleep properly with her husband (aka, nude).

"_Well, we could have maybe given the Padawan a proper education, and see how well the 'handmaiden' holds up." _Revan thought, smirking.

She looked up to see Obi-Wan knock on the bathroom door and open it. A second later, she watched as he was blown back with a massive nosebleed, and Padme rush out wrapped in a towel.

"_I guess he's not as institutionalized as I first thought." _She thought with a grin. As Padme cradled his head in her lap, Revan started to giggle at what _THAT _would do to the already flustered Padawan.

Standing up, she walked over. "I suggest you go and get dressed '_handmaiden'_, before he wakes up. It would be…" Revan paused. "_Funny as hell. Oh Kami, I've been around Naruto way too long."_

"Go get dressed." She finished.

"But Obi-Wan-"

"Ben will be fine." She said, shooing the younger girl back to the bathroom. Once the door was closed, she lightly kicked the Padawan.

"Up and at 'em, Benny boy. You can wank off later when no one is around."

The flushed face told her that he had been near consciousness. "Oh, what can I do with this information? Our sweet little Padawan has a crush on the handmaiden."

Obi-Wan was on his feet before she could blink, and Revan saw he had managed to wipe his beard and nose clean. "_It really is a gift. All that blood and not one stain. Of course, that's the only time that power comes to life…Heh, Naruto called it part of the whole Man-law thing."_

"I…er…she…I-"

Revan laughed. "Relax, Padawan," the door hissed open, and Padme stood there for a moment.

"Now, we have an engine to finish. The race won't be run by pushing the damn pod."

Revan headed for the door. "Skywalker, come with me." She called. The boy looked out the door, and then rushed to the woman's side. Once they were gone, Padme and Obi-Wan were left alone, one blushing and the other a nervous wreck.

"This is weird." Padme muttered. "_Of course I can't tell Sabe and the others that he saw me naked…they'd kill the poor man." _But the situation had inserted idea's in the young teens head that involved a certain brown-haired Padawan. Most of them included both parties in rather...compromising positions.

XX

Revan took the money that Naruto had collected, and bought some of the parts needed on the cheap side. "Stupid junk dealers. Its junk, not cortosis." She muttered as she handed another part to the boy behind her.

"But its junk that people need, thus it's valuable."

Revan looked at the boy. "And on any other planet, they'd be shot." She looked over another series of parts. With a grunt, she led him back to the slave quarters.

"We're rushed for time, so we're going to cannibalize the engines." Revan told him.

"But they-"

"But nothing. If you hadn't tried to show off for your friends and to impress the Handmaiden, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"I wasn't showing off." Anakin pouted.

"What the frack would you call it?" Revan fired back. "That stunt set fire to one engine, and cracked the other. Your lucky they didn't explode."

"I knew what I was doing." Anakin said.

"No, you didn't. You didn't have the power distributed properly, and you had no safety protocols in place. If you'd have been racing, you'd have been a smear on the ground and ashes in an urn atop the mantle in your mothers home." Revan said, turning to look at the boy.

"You are beyond reckless. I'm sure you have some skills, but with no discipline and no control, you're a menace to not only those around you, but yourself. If Obi-Wan hadn't used the Force to deflect that outer casing, you'd be head shorter."

"I get it, I messed up…" the boy yelled at her, his eyes narrowed. Revan could feel the anger flowing off him.

"And your emotions-"

"WHAT DO YOU CARE?" Anakin snarled, and stormed back to the house.

Sighing, she palmed her face. "...And Tsunade wanted me to have several of those…" Revan said and followed after the stomping child.

XX

Later that night

Anakin is sitting on the balcony rail outside the hovel as Revan tends to a long cut on the boy's arm. "You need to pay attention to what you are doing." She says. Anakin makes a sound as he leans back and looks up at the vast blanket of stars in the sky.

"Keep still and let me clean this." She mutters.

"But there are so many. Do they all have a system of planets?" Anakin looked up. Obi-Wan had been talking about some of his adventures with his Master Qui-Gon during dinner.

Revan nodded. "Most of them, or they used to at any rate." Thinking about it, she needed to update her knowledge of the known systems once this mission was over.

"Has anyone been to all of them?" Anakin asked.

Revan snorted. "Not likely, unless they were very long living." "_Like me." _She thought.

"Then I want to be the first one to see them all-OW!" Anakin winces, and looks at Revan, who wipes a patch of blood off Anakin's arm. "There, good as new." She really wanted to use some of the Jedi healing arts or some of the jutsu she knew, but something in the back of her mind was telling her to be careful, and not show off too much. "_Like that mental warning I got around the Uchiha." _She thought.

From, inside Shmi yelled out. "Annie, bedtime!"

Revan, seeing Anakin is distracted, wipes some of the blood onto a chip.

Anakin sees it, however. "What are you doing?" He asked curiously.

"Just going to check your blood for infections." Revan lied with ease.

"I've never seen-"

"Annie! I'm not going to tell you again!" Shmi yells from inside.

Revan prods him. "Go on, you have a big day tomorrow. Goodnight."

Anakin rolls his eyes as he runs into the hovel that was his home. Revan slips the bloodstained chip into her comlink, then calls Qui-Gon.

"Master Jinn…"

"Revan?"

"No, another person with a comlink to your personal communicator." She snarks. "Listen, I need you to make an analysis of this blood sample I'm sending you."

There was a pause, and she knew she'd woken the other master up. She grinned. "Getting up there in years Qui-Gon?"

"Not all of us are blessed with your youth and beauty, Revan." He shot back.

She laughed. "Why Qui-Gon, I'm flattered. Should I tell Naruto I'm leaving him for a younger man?"

Laughter was her answer. "Its things like that, my dear, that remind me you both are older than I, and Master Yoda."

Revan laughed, "And I'm still prettier."

"Without a doubt." Qui-Gon said and Revan smiled. "Ready, you charmer?"

"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I need a midi-chlorian count. Yoda told me about them, and I want to test something."

A pause. "Alright, got it."

"What are your readings?" Revan asked.

Silence for several beats. "Something must be wrong with the transmission." Revan tried a signal check.

"Strange. The transmission is in good order, but the readings you asked for are off the chart…over twenty thousand."

Revan bite her lip. Then prepared a new chip. "Try this one."

"Okay, this is weird…whose is this?"

"Mine." Revan said.

"Its approaching forty thousand and it looks like its climbing." Qui-Gon sounded amazed.

"Don't worry about it."

"But Revan, Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count as high as the first one, and yours is double that!"

"No Jedi has, I bet." Revan muttered. "I'll send you Naruto's later…as soon as he gets back."

"He's out again?" Qui-Gon's voice sounded concerned.

"He and HK are out amongst the Dune Sea." She said. She knew he was fine as she could feel him, he just wasn't answering her link.

"I'll contact you later. Go back to sleep, old man." Revan said teasing.

"Younger than you. Goodnight, Revan."

The Jedi Master sighed and looked up to see Shmi standing in the doorway watching her, an embarrassed look on her face, before she turns and heads back to the kitchen. Revan looks back up at the stars, wondering what the Force had in store for them.

XX

_**Sunrise…**_

Padme exited the hovel, and looked out over the city. "_It looks so peaceful." _She thought, as she looked down to see Artoo putting the finishing touches on the paint job to the pod.

"Nearly finished?" she asks the astromech droid.

Artoo whistles positively. She turns, and sees Anakin must have snuck out during the night, as he was sleeping against one of the remodeled engines.

Obi-Wan came up from behind her, touching her shoulder lightly to indicate his presence. "He's been here for three hours." He said softly. They turn to see the boy Kitster, that Anakin introduced to them yesterday, riding towards them on a strange camel like creature. He is leading a second one behind him.

Padme moves towards Anakin. She notes he looks very vulnerable as he sleeps. She studies him for a moment, then touches him on the cheek. He jerks awake at the contact, then yawns and gives her a puzzled look.

"You were in my dream." He says. Padme raises an eyebrow at this.

"You were leading a huge army into battle."

"I hope not. I hate fighting." Padme says. "You better go inside. Your mother was looking for you. Best clean up, cause we have to leave soon."

Anakin stands and stretches, just as Kitster arrives.

"Hook 'em up, Kitster." He then looks at Padme while Obi-Wan goes to help Anakin's friend. "I won't be too long. Where's Revan?"

Padme smiled. "She left already. I think she went to meet with Watto at the arena."

XX

Race crews mill about the large building with over a dozen podracers being readied for the race. Alien crews and pilots rush about, making last minute adjustments on their vehicles.

Revan strides through the activity with Watto flying near her shoulder.

"…And I want to see your spaceship the moment the race is over." Watto said.

"Patience, Toydarian. I assure you that you'll have what you deserve before the suns set, and we'll be far away from here."

Watto snorted "Not if your ship belongs to me, I think…I warn you now, no funny business."

"You don't think Anakin can win?" She paused, and looked at the Toydarian.

Watto was stopped from answering by a new voice. "He's bet on the Dug to win."

Revan turned to see a grinning Naruto, and HK-47 standing nearby. She took in her husbands appearance: clothes covered with sand, some minor tears and burn marks. She also noticed a pack slung over his back.

"Don't get me wrong. I have great faith in the boy, he's a credit to your race, but Sebulba is going to win." Watto says, pointing to an orange racer off to one side where they see a Dug having his shoulders and neck massaged by twin Yobanas.

"Why?" Revan asked.

"Because he always wins." Watto said then laughed. "I'm betting heavily on Sebulba."

"I'll take that bet." Naruto says.

Watto stops laughing, and looks at the blond. "What? What do you mean?"

Naruto steps up. "I'll wager this shiny Krayt Dragon pearl against…say…the boy and his mother."

Watto's eyes widened seeing the pearl, as did Revan's, which then narrowed as she realized what her husband and droid had been doing in the desert.

"I don't know." Watto said, a greedy, yet contemplative look on his face. "Perhaps just one…the mother maybe…the boy isn't for sale."

Naruto shook his head. "The boy is small, he can't be worth much."

Watto shakes his head.

"I had this appraised, it's worth more than a starship. More than the Nubian you were asking for, at least" Watto shakes his head again.

"For both, or no bet." Naruto said, narrowing his eyes.

Watto sighed. "One gem, that I have not seen appraised, is worth two slaves? Not by a long shot. One slave or nothing."

Naruto looked at Revan. "The boy, then."

Watto pulls out a small cube from his pocket.

"We'll let fate decide. Blue, it's the boy. Red, his mother…"

"How about this: Blue, the boy and his mother. Red, just the mother."

Watto shakes his head. "I said a jewel not appraised in my presence is not worth two slaves."

Naruto grins, and pulls out a second pearl, getting his wife's eyes to boggle, and Watto to nearly salivate.

"Fine, then. You're not happy with one, how about two. Blue, we get both mother and son. Red, we get neither AND you get both these pearls."

A deal this good, with Krayt Dragon Pearls thrown in, would make even a Hutt lose its' composure.

"D-deal!" The Toydarian gets a grin and nods, before tossing the cube.

It skitters across the floor, spinning on one of its' rounded points as all eyes are on it. Revan lifts her hand, but Naruto catches it, pushing it back down.

Revan turns an alarmed look to her husband, not caring if the Toydarian sees, considering its' greedy eyes are locked on the cube.

"_What are you DOING, Naruto?"_ she whispered angrily.

"Just watch, hime. Just watch." he replied.

Revan arched an eyebrow. "What are you up to?"

Naruto grinned. "Remember when Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Anko always took me to casinos whenever they'd gamble?"

Revan nodded, before an understanding look crossed her face. "That time at Tanzaku-Gai, when Tsunade cleaned house? That was you?"

The cube slows, barely rotating, before landing on blue.

Naruto's grin widened. "That was me."

Watto's eyes widen. "I-impossible." he whispered to himself.

Turning to the two, he can see that there have been no 'Jedi Tricks' played, so he has nothing to go on, except that he lost a bet, fair and square."You won the small toss, outlander, but you won't win the race, so it makes little difference." The Toydarian huffs, before fluttering away.

"You were about to cheat, and if he'd caught us-" Naruto began to say, turning to looking at his wife. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "What were you doing hunting Krayt Dragons…WITHOUT ME?"

Naruto scratched the back of his neck, and looked to see the others arriving. "Oh, look Ben's here." He said, praying he could get out of it for now.

Anakin and Padme enter the hanger on one of the Eopies, pulling an engine. Kitster is on the other pulling another engine, with Threepio walking alongside. Artoo is behind pulling the pod with Shmi sitting on it and Obi-Wan walking next to her.

Watto passes Anakin as he leaves.

"Bonapa kessa pareeso, o wanna meetee chobodd." (Better stop your friends betting, or I'll end up owning him, too.) Watto flutters off laughing.

Anakin looks at Revan and Naruto. "What did he mean by that?"

Naruto smirks as he looks at his wife. "We'll tell you later, gaki."

HK approaches the droids, Artoo beeps and whistles, and Threepio steps back as the assassin droids optics focus on him.

"Confirmation: Master has shown this unit many things since our last meeting. If the sissy protocol droid would come closer, this unit would be more than happy to demonstrate. Amendment: Of course it would be more interesting in the vacuum of space."

Obi-Wan off to the side shudders at what the droids were talking about. He noticed a gaffi stick strapped to the droid's back and looked to see Naruto, pretending to look innocent as his wife glared at him, while Padme was looking at Anakin and Kitster in disbelief when they let it slip that Anakin had never won a race before, and hadn't finished, either.

"You'll do it this time." Kitster said.

"Of course he will." Revan said. She looked at Naruto, and the blond grinned. She wondered what her husband had in store for the race. Regardless, knowing him, it would probably spell disaster for the Dug, and anyone else who got in Anakin's way.

_**Dang, that was a long chapter. 17 pages. By the way, I didn't manage to get to the fight, but I am planning on getting to it next chapter. We should be far enough along that we'll reach it by then. Anywho, this may very well be my longest chapter yet, and considering the extra dialogue I added in, I'd say it's closer to cannon now, so I'm happy about that. It's ironic how you can pop in Episode 1, and pretty much follow the story word-for-word with the movie. Extra parts, such as Naruto and HK-47 are add-ins, obviously, but I think it makes the story a little more interesting.**_

_**One individual asked in an earlier chapter if I was going to do The Clone Wars (the animated stuff, not the second movie. I will be doing the second movie, though, so don't panic.) I still haven't decided, but I am leaning towards adding it in, seeing as some of the missions in it could very well be good material. I am not 100% sure, though, so don't go expecting it to happen, only to get disappointed if it doesn't.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 12: Meeting a Sith**

The Boonta Eve Classic.

Considered the largest annual podrace in the entire galaxy, the Classic was held once a year, on the planet Tatooine. The race course always began in the Mos Espa Grand Arena. It is hosted by the Hutts, to commemorate the Boonta's Eve holiday, which is one of three holidays established by the Hutts to commemorate victories against the Parliament of Moralan, which had encroached on Hutt territory for centuries before the Hutts drove them out in a three-day decisive victory, hence the celebration to commemorate the hero of the battles, Boonta the Hutt.

The Mos Espa Grand Arena is a vast amphitheater built into a canyonside on the Northern Dune Sea. Here, inside the enormous stadium, hundreds of thousands of spectators filled the stands, species of every kind coming together for one thing: Podracing.

Located in the upper levels, a commentator's box is built into the rock wall, hosting the long-time favored commentators Fodesinbeed Annodue, a two-headed Troig that would communicate in Basic and Huttese.

"...And that's absolutely right, a BIG turnout here, from all corners of the Outer Rim territories."

Below, the contestants are making their way out onto the starting grid.

On the left side of the tracks, across from the grandstands, a line of podracers emerge from the large hanger, surrounded by several crew members of each team. The pods are pulled by a wide variety of creatures, each led by teammates carrying flags that represent the individual racers. The pilots stand facing Jabba's private box, before bowing to the emerging figure of Jabba the Hutt, who receives loud shouts, cheers, and applause upon his entrance to his private viewing box.

Fodesinbeed continues his narration. "I see Ben Quadrinaros, from the Tund system, Aldar Beedo of Ploo 2, and the reigning champion, going in strong with 9 consecutive races, SEBULBA!"

Sebulba, who happens to be stationed near Anakin, stands and waves to his vast legion of fans while a small pep band play and the fans continue to cheer.

Waiting for the cheering to die down a bit, Fodesinbeed then continues. "...And in the front row, in the inside poll position, Mawhonic!"

Mawhonic of Hok bowed stiffly to the crowd.

"And a hearty hello to Clegg Holdfast, and his Voltic KV9T9-B Wasp."

With a overly dramatic flourish, Clegg bowed, before standing and stroking his chin.

"And back again, it's the mighty Dud Bolt, with his incredible racing machine, the Vulptereen 327."

Dud gave a rather simple wave to the crowd from his podracer.

"Hoping for a big win today, Ody Mandrell, with his record-setting pit droid team."

Ody waved heartily to the crowd, even as his droid crew fumbled around in front of his pod.

"And a late entry, young Anakin Skywalker, a local boy."

Anakin beams, before waving to the crowd.

Obi-Wan and Kitster attach the giant engines to Anakin's pod with several long cables. While this is going on, Shmi gives Anakin a big hug and a kiss.

"Be safe." She says.

"I will mom, I promise." She hurries away before the tears slip from her eyes.

Anakin checks the cable hitches, while off to the side, Revan is speaking with her husband.

"Where did he go?"

"Who, dear?" Naruto asks, entwining his fingers behind his head and gives her his most innocent look.

"My droid. You know, your new buddy. Where is HK?" Revan asked, doing her best to keep her temper.

"Oh…he's around." Naruto said.

Naruto smirks as Padme walks up and gives Anakin a peck on the cheek for good luck. "You think Ben's going to do something about that?" he asks, and Revan looks to see the Padawan watching. "Nope."

Her eyes land on the Dug, and she frowns, heading towards him as the Dug attempts to taunt Anakin.

She examines the engine. "Oh no, you don't." she mutters as she pulls out a tool and starts making repairs.

"What's wrong?"

Revan looks up to see Padme. "Thrice damned Dug just tried to sabotage Anakin's engines. It would've blow when put under extreme stress."

They heard a growl, and both women turned to see Naruto speaking into a comlink. They didn't hear what he said, but he slipped the communicator away after a moment, his blue eyes on the Dug as it moved away from Anakin. The Dug, seeing him, widened its' eyes.

"Hey shitstain." Naruto said. "Remember me?"

The Dug shuffled back a few feet, and as if sensing trouble, guards were making their way onto the field. Sebulba, feeling cocky, shoots him a grin, unaware of Revan's repairs.

Naruto keeps an eye on the Dug till it's back at its' pod.

Then he walks up, grabs Anakin by the back of his shirt, and lifts him into the racer. The boy's yelps are ignored and he starts to strap himself into the pod.

Revan walks up to the other side. "Are you all set?"

Anakin nods, and through the Force, the Jedi Master can feel the boys nausea.

"Remember what I told you. Concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts."

Anakin nods, and gives a shaky smile. "May the Force be with you." Revan says, patting his helmet-covered head as the boy slips on his goggles.

The Namikazes step back as Anakin flips several switches and powerful energy binders shoot from the engines, connecting them together and levitating the engines slightly off the ground. Anakin flips a switch and his engine starts, the incredible roar of the high-powered engine echoing throughout the arena as other drivers proceed to do the same.

Talking at the same time, Fodesinbeed declares Jabba's grandiose entrance, the whole crowd roaring as the Hutt emerges from his private viewing box, waving to the crowd.

"(Let the race begin.)" Declared Jabba, an even louder roar erupting from the crowd.

XX

As the others made their way to the stands, Revan grabbed her husband, and stopped him. "Where is HK?"

Naruto sighed. "There's going to be trouble, and I'm stacking the deck."

She looked at him. "Come again?"

"While we were doing some hunting, we ran across a bounty hunter named Aurra Sing."

"Who?"

"A bad-ass bounty hunter, and from what I've heard, she's good enough to hunt Jedi."

Revan's eyes narrow. "And she's here why?"

"Don't know. But she has been asking around about a certain gaki."

Revan's danger sense kicked in. "She's hunting the boy? Why? I mean sure he's gifted, but-"

"Apparently not to kill, but to kidnap. Its why I have HK heading out. We think she's going to be in one of the blind stretches." Naruto admitted.

"I'll get-"

"You stay here with Ben and the girl. Last thing we need is to put her in danger." Naruto said.

"You're sounding very commanding, dear. Reminds me of when you were Hokage."

He smiled, but then she cut it in half with, "And you remember how well I took orders then."

Naruto sighed. "Rev, you be here, I'm taking a swoop bike I acquired-"

"That you killed the previous owner for."

Naruto shrugged. "He was a bounty."

"When you get back, you are going to tell me about what you've been doing, and why you were hunting a Krayt Dragon…without me."

Naruto gulped, and handed her an earlink. "It's set to our channel. That way, you'll know what's happening."

She sighed, and kissed him. "Remember, no mass property damage…"

"And keep the body count to a minimum. I got it, I got it." He finished as he kissed her back before rushing off. Revan sighed as she slipped on the receiver and went to find Obi-Wan and the others.

XX

"Master Revan, where is Naruto?" Obi-Wan asked when she rejoined them.

"He's gone to retrieve HK." Which wasn't a lie, but the last thing she needed was to worry Shmi and Padme, as both were nervous. Everyone else looked at Revan as she entered the viewing platform.

"Is he nervous?" Shmi asked, trying to cover her own fears and nerves by focusing on her son.

Revan smiled. "He's fine." At this, Padme spoke up, "You Jedi are far too reckless. The Queen-"

Revan raised an eyebrow. "_If you want to play this game in public, then fine._" "The Queen trusts MY judgment, young _Handmaiden_. You should, too." Revan says, stressing the girl's public title with a grin, and saw the flash of irritation on Padme's face.

"You assume too much." The girl mumbled. Obi-Wan put a calming hand on her shoulder. He'd been chastised by Masters before, and Revan had that same look. He missed something, and whatever it was had upset the handmaiden. Padme shot him a look, and he gave her a reassuring grin as Revan took her seat and the platform rose into the air. With a handheld monitor, entering the name of the racer she wanted to watch.

Overhead, the sound of Fodesinbeed narrating the start of the race had the fans around the stadium getting louder.

XX

On an overhang above the track, the track light begins to flash. Biting the head off a small animal, Jabba spits it at a nearby gong, signaling the start of the race.

The podracers gun it, shooting forward with high-pitched screams. Anakin's engine, however, coughs and sputters, then dies.

All the other racers, except Quadrinaros, swerve around him and disappear down the track. Fans watch, and some laugh as the slave boy struggles to get his racer started.

"Ohoho, wait! Little Skywalker has stalled!" Fodesinbeed quipped

Watching via handheld monitor, Padme and Obi-Wan are distressed with Anakin's situation. Revan puts her arm around a very worried Shmi in a show of comfort. Her eyes, however, are focused on the pod.

Anakin, however, isn't the only one in the hot seat. "And it looks like Quadrinaros is having engine trouble, as well."

Finally, after bypass after bypass, Anakin's engines ignite and he zooms away after the receding pack of competitors, the group cheering as he rounds the bend and disappears.

"And there goes Skywalker. He will be hard pressed to catch up to the leaders."

The Podracers fly across the desert, Sebulba running neck and neck with Mawhonic. They round the first turn in the track, side by side. Sebulba drives his pod into his rival, forcing him into the wall of a large rock formation. Mawhonic shakes his fist in anger, spouting curse words in another language. Sebulba retaliates with curses of his own, and knocks Mawhonic into the rock wall again. The left engine catches on a stone, and the pod disintegrates, Mawhonic crashing in a spectacular display of fire, smoke, and twisted metal.

Anakin's podracer is much sleeker and faster than the back-end stragglers, and he passes several of them easily. One racer, Gasgano, won't let Anakin pass him. Anakin tries to pass him on one side, then the other, only to be cut off each time. As they come up on a cliff drop-off, Anakin backs off, then guns it as Gasgano goes over the cliff. Anakin accelerates so fast, that he sails right over the top of Gasgano, and speeds away.

Threading several narrow canyons, the racers maintain a single file formation, unable to pass one another due to the narrow canyon walls. As they enter a cave, the stalagmites and stalactites force the racers to weave wildly to avoid a painful death.

One such racer, Ratts Tyerell, looks away for a brief moment to contemplate his position. As he turns around, he's given two seconds to scream, as his racer impacted a solid wall of stalagmite and stalactite columns, resulting in a huge fireball that flared out, singing several other racers.

Four Tusken Raiders perched above the race course fire their rifles at the pods racing in the canyon below them. One shot ricochets off the back of Anakin's pod.

"Looks like several Tusken Raiders are camped out on the Canyon Dune Turn." came Fodesinbeed's announcement.

Back with the crowd, Revan looks at the results and keeps her face blank, but inside she's seething.

"_Blast it…Naruto, where are you?"_

"_Why? What's wrong?" _The blond sent back to his wife.

"_Tusken's are camped out on the Canyon Dune Turn. They just took some shots at Anakin and the other racers." _Revan sent back.

"_I'll do what I can, love, but HK has engaged Sing. She's more dangerous at the moment than some Sand People trying to get in some sport." _Naruto sent back.

"_Be careful, love. I don't like the fact a bounty hunter like Sing is focusing on Anakin, if it's like you said." _Revan sent back.

There was no further reply, and she knew that he had entered battle.

XX

While Anakin was busy racing, HK-47 was tearing up the Tatooine landscape with excessive amounts of blaster fire with his assault rifle.

"Statement: Hold still, pale meatbag, so that I can teach you the meaning of love."

Aurra Sing backflipped and landed behind a crop of boulders. The white-skinned woman cursed as the insane droid had somehow snuck up on her.

"Statement: Master would not approve of your intentions towards the rather annoying little meatbag. Addendum: Therefore, your termination is required."

Since then, she'd been unable to do much but avoid the blaster bolts.

From her position in the cropping, she could see a swoop bike rapidly approaching their position. "_Jedi?" _Aurra thought, feeling the unusual energy around the individual. She saw spiky blond hair blowing wildly as the swoop came around, and slowed to a stop, the rider performing a front flip and landing next to the droid that still had her pinned down with the excessive amounts of laser fire.

"_This keeps up, and I'll miss my target." _She thought, as the insane amount of ammunition being fired her was was starting to take its' toll on the boulder, the rock having become hot enough that it now started to slough off, each round scooping out chunks of molten rock. She could hear the droid comment on its' master's arrival.

"Greetings and Salutations, Master. Inquiry: Permission to use grenades?" the droid asked cheerfully.

"Not right this second, HK. Go and deal with the Tuskens out near the Canyon Dune Turn. Leave none alive." The blond ordered. This order of termination surprised Sing, as she thought for certain the swoop rider was a Jedi.

"Compliance, Master. Caution: Careful with this one, Master. Aurra Sing is reported to have Jedi training."

"I'll be fine, HK."

Aurra Sing peeked around the boulder, and saw a man with tan skin, blond hair and whisker marks on his cheeks. He saw her, and grinned.

"Hello there. Come on out, HK is gone and won't hurt you."

Aurra scoffed, but stepped out. "Lies. Your droid attacked me under your orders."

Naruto shrugged. "I heard you were after a certain boy, and I can't allow you to have him."

Aurra drew her blaster. "I don't think a young Padawan like yourself is a match for me."

Naruto smiled. "Why is every last one of you imbeciles so overconfident?"

Aurra looked at him, he had yet to draw a weapon. "So be it. DIE, JEDI!" she yelled as she opened fire.

Naruto spun avoiding the hail of blaster fire. As he danced around her fire, he casually removed his jacket, not wanting to get another hole in it, and cocked back his shuriken launcher. Pulling on four wires, eight shuriken were fired from the compact device in quick, successive bursts. Caught off-guard, Sing barely managed to dodge the throwing stars, although several sliced through the arms of her shirt and pant legs, leaving ragged tears in the cloth.

"What the hell are those?" the bounty hunter demanded as she got to her feet. "Those aren't the weapons of a Jedi."

Naruto smirked. "I'm no Jedi…well not yet, at least. Maybe never, to be honest. I'm a ninja." He said as his hands blurred. Aurra's eyes widened as she felt the wind around her pick up, raising her blaster and firing a couple of rounds. However, Naruto dodged them effortlessly, while finishing his handsigns.

"Futon: Atsugai!" he monotoned, before opening his mouth and firing a concentrated ball of wind at Aurra.

The pale bounty hunter barely managed to dodge, the resulting explosion from the jutsu carving a scar into the earth she had once been standing on. Looking back, she gaped at the new three-foot trench that was added to the landscape, seeing it continue onward until it hit a wall, indenting the wall like a child would indent playdoh.

Naruto smirked, seeing her reaction. "Now, can we talk about this nicely, or do I have to get serious?"

Aurra pulled a frag grenade. Pulling the pin, she tossed it and ran.

She was surprised moments later when it flew back over and landed at her feet.

Swearing in Huttese she managed to leap away as it exploded, landing on her butt as she looked back to see his hand lowering back to his side.

"I'm going to take that as a no."

XX

Revan could feel her husband's mirth, and watched as the blaster fire from the Tusken Raiders was suddenly cut off, the pods passing by without further incident.

"_HK or Naruto must have dealt with them." _The Jedi Master thought. She noticed the handmaiden was gripping Obi-Wan's hand and filed that away for later torment. "_Blackmail." _She mentally corrected.

"_Naruto, love, what are you doing?" _she mentally sent out. She didn't get an actual answer, but she got a sense of mischief.

"_Fine, but I want details." _she sent, then focused on the race once more, watching as another pod exploded, missing the turn and slamming into the canyon wall.

"_I prefer swoop bikes. Better control." _She thought as the howl of engines was heard.

Below, Quadrinaros has refused to give up. Now resorting to pounding on his control panel, he finally gets some results.

…

…

…

The energy beams criss-crossing each other and connecting the engines to one another shorts out, before failing altogether.

At the same time, Quadrinaros' engines suddenly turn on. Normally, this would be a good thing, except for one, tiny problem:

There's nothing connecting the engines to one another.

This chain of unfortunate events causes his podracer to commit suicide, the four engines shooting up in the air, before separating and swerving sporadically throughout the sky, before losing altitude and crashing onto the arena floor below, Quadrinaros' actual pod skipping a few feet before sliding to a stop, mere yards away from where he started.

"OHHH, there goes Quadrinaros' power couplings." says Fodesinbeed, with an amused chuckle.

Meanwhile, the other remaining racers come barreling into the arena, narrowly avoiding the stranded Quadrinaros as they pass around his beached pod and round the corner, going into lap two with Sebulba still in the lead.

Ody Mandrell makes a pit stop, his droids immediately going to work on his overheated left engine. As the droids scuttle about, one droid mistakenly forgets to stay away from the suction of the engine, and is sucked into the spinning blades, emerging unharmed on the other side. The engine, however, is destroyed, and Ody facepalms in disbelief, as he's now forced to forfeit the race.

Anakin's pod passes an eye blink later, the gap closer now as the crowd is wild with excitement. Revan can feel the tension from both Shmi and Padme. She can feel Obi-Wan trying to use the Force to keep the handmaiden calm.

"Okay there, Ben?" she asks, and looks at his hand, which is the vise-like grip of Padme. Obi-Wan winces slightly as she squeezes tighter.

"Perfectly fine, Master Revan." He says, and she can hear the hint of strain in his voice. She smirks at him, letting him know that he's been caught in his little white lie.

XX

Sebulba, meanwhile, reaches into one of his compartments, and comes up with a small engine wrench, chuckling to himself as he simply lets it go. The piece of scrap falls away, landing snugly into Mars Guo's left engine. The engine explodes, sending Mars careening into the canyon floor, before his pod is swept away, nearly catching Anakin in the head as it soars over.

A small piece of scrap from the wreckage manages to catch on one of Anakin's tether cables. Anakin struggles to keep control of his little pod as it whips about wildly.

"Skywalker's spinning out of control!" came Fodesinbeed's announcement.

As the pod swings near the broken engine strap, the youngest racer there makes a grab for it, finally catching it using a magnetic tool and hooks it to the pod.

Ahead of this, while Anakin does some in-flight maintenance, Sebulba flashes another racer with his side exhaust, and the racer crashes with a cloud of dust. A third racer flies into the dust cloud, and crashes into the downed pod, destroying both.

"OOOHHH, I don't care WHAT Universe you're from. That has GOT to hurt!" quipped Fodesinbeed.

Anakin rounds the corner and heads into the cloud of smoke and dust, hiting one of the engine remains, but managing to regain control quickly.

Anakin finally manages to catch up with Sebulba, the pair running neck and neck over the rough terrain. Everyone in the stadium screams as they come through the arena. The lights in the tower indicate that this is the start of the third and final lap.

"It's the start of the third and final lap. Sebulba is in the lead, followed closely by Skywalker."

Sebulba uses his side exhaust port to try and cut through Anakin's engines. The youngster manages to avoid having his engine disabled, but is forced off course and onto a service ramp, busting the barriers that had been set up before the race.

Ohoho, Skywalker's been forced onto the service ramp!"

XX

Naruto was having a grand time. The bounty hunter was devious, and had lots of different attacks that, while not successful, most definitely kept him entertained.

Right now, Sing had taken out her red lightsaber, and was having a rather one-sided duel with the supposed "Padawan"...with the "Padawan" winning.

Clashing blades yet again, Naruto kicked her in the side, knocking her to the ground before using a weak Force Push to shove her against the wall.

Lifting his hand, a Rasengan began to form, the former Jedi's eyes widening, then closing as the ball dove for her head. Embedding itself in the rock wall, a grinding sound could be heard as chips of rock began to pelt the assassin's face. Opening her eyes, she saw Naruto's left arm mere inches from her head, the Rasengan having burrowed a head-sized hole into the rock next to her.

Leaning down, his lightsaber underneath her chin, Naruto put his face next to hers.

"Are you done squirming? Will you forgo this bounty, or do I have to make you give it up?"

Seething, Auura spat in Naruto's face. "Go to hell, Jedi. I would rather be killed than yield to scum like you!"

Naruto used his hand to wipe his face, his frown tightening.

"So be it."

Naruto heard the howl of the engine, and looked up just in time to see a very familiar pod shoot off an emergency ramp and into the air.

He watched as the pod sailed through the air, and he could see the boy making adjustments and the pod make its' descent.

Naruto smirked, seeing Anakin nearly take off Sebulba's head as he landed in front of him, and rocketed away.

"WAY TO GO, GAKI!" he cheered. His danger sense kicked in, and he rolled to the side, avoiding the blaster bolt aimed for his skull.

Auura ducked and rolled as well, the greenish-white saber slicing through the rock where her neck once was. Standing, she reactivated her saber, flinging it at his legs, only to recall it when he did a kickflip into the air, the spinning red blade missing his ankles entirely.

Using one of the numerous boulders as a springboard, Naruto flung himself at Auura, actually trying to do her harm now, considering that this had gone on long enough. Knocking her saber to the side, he brought his leg around in a frontal roundhouse kick, the top of his foot catching her head and sending her sprawling, her lightsaber flying from her hand to land next to her.

"Are we done now, Auura? You're target is gone and you've been defeated. Please don't make me destroy you. There's no point now."

Shakily getting to her legs, lightsaber firmly in her grip, Auura spat out a globule of blood. Holstering her saber, she pointed a shaking finger at the blonde. "The next time I see you, I will _**KILL**_ YOU, Jedi scum!"

Backflipping over a boulder, she landed on her swoop before taking off, leaving Naruto in a cloud of dust.

Naruto sighed, and deactivated his lightsaber. He turned, heaing the approaching swoop carrying HK, and leaned against the rock.

"Master?" HK intoned, the red optics scanning their surroundings. "Question: You didn't kill the pale meatbag?"

"She got away, HK." He said.

"Incredulous Statement: You let her go? Statement: Disappointed Feelings, Master. I must inform Mistress that you have gone soft, and allowed female meatsack to escape."

Naruto sighed. "_There are times I really hate HK and his way of thinking."_

Climbing onto the swoop, he sighed. "Just take us back to Revan."

"Affirmative, Master."

As the swoop sped away, Naruto felt his curiosity prickle. "HK, what happened with the Tuskens?"

"Report: I left none of them alive. Just like you asked, Master. Glorious Jubilation: They screamed as I shot off their kneecaps. Additional Statement: Then, they made keening wails as I proceeded to eviscerate them with my wrist blades. Justification: They attempted to fight back with their gaffi sticks. Contemplative Pause: They really need to get better weapons if they wish to do battle efficiently."

Naruto shook his head as the droid (with sound effects) retold the battle as he drove.

XX

"HE WON!" Padme yelled as Anakin crossed the finish line. They had witnessed the struggle between the boy and the Dug as they approached the arena. Revan smiles recalling as she felt Anakin pull on the Force to separate his pod from the Dug's and the resulting crash for the alien that had cheated his way throughout the entire race was nothing if not sweet.

"_I detest cheaters." _She thought, completely forgetting her earlier attempt at cheating Watto in a supposed game of chance. "_Racing should be about skill, not about how many underhanded tactics you can pull off, and get away with."_

She smiled, seeing Obi-Wan pull the boy from his pod and spin him around in the air before putting him down, where he was mobbed by his friend Kitster and his mother. She watched as Padme knelt and hugged him. With a smirk, she went to find a certain Toydarian to collect their winnings.

XX

In the upper balconies, Watto finished handing yet another losing bet to a Quarren, who tuned and left upon receiving his prize. Sighing, Watto turned to the sound of footsteps, already prepared to lose even more, but becoming enraged upon seeing Revan's grinning face.

"YOU! YOU SWINDLED ME!" he growled out, itching to wrap his long fingers around the Jedi Master's neck. "You KNEW the boy was going to do it! Somehow, you knew!"

His disposition changed to sorrow. "I lost everything."

Revan's face adopted a serious expression. "Whenever you gamble, my friend, there's always a chance you'll lose. Bring the parts to the main hangar."

She turned and regarded the racetrack. "I will come by your shop later, so you can release the boy and his mother."

Folding his arms, Watto pouted. "You can't have them. It wasn't a fair bet."

Revan turned on Watto, an evil smirk appearing on her face. "Really? It wasn't a fair bet, you say? Do those loaded dice you carry with you constitute as fair? How about the wagers you placed before the race?"

She shrugged. "It really doesn't matter. If you want, we can discuss this with the Hutts, seeing as they are the hosts of the Boonta Eve Classic, and they are the go-to individuals for all betting disputes. I'm sure they can settle this."

Watto's face fell, and his body drooped slightly. "...Take them."

Revan nodded and left Watto, smiling as she saw Naruto leaning against a wall waiting for her. She relaxed into his arms and he kissed her lips deeply, running his hands over her body as she did the same.

"Where's HK?" she asked after several minutes of silence.

"I have him keeping an eye on the boy." Naruto said. "Aurra Sing is still out there...as is the person who ordered her to capture him."

Revan nuzzled his chest. "You stink, Namikaze." She said, getting a good whiff of him.

"Yeah? Well, desert fighting does that. Not to mention she had Jedi training." Naruto said.

"How do you know?" Revan asked, not breaking contact with her husband.

"The way she moved, the feeling of using the Force for some of her moves. Classic signs of training."

Revan sighed. "We'll need to look into it later, I guess, once we get back to Coruscant."

She then poked him in the ribs. "And you have a lot explaining to do."

Naruto sighed. "Okay. But then, so do you."

Revan smiled. "Come on, let's get you somewhere where you can wash up and tell me about what you and my droid have been doing."

Naruto, an arm over her shoulders, let her lead him towards the hanger where the others were waiting. "I will say this: it hasn't been dull since I woke up."

Revan smiled, happy that her husband was fitting into her world easier than she did in his all those years ago.

XX

"I can't believe it." Shmi said later that day as they were gathered in the Skywalker home.

"Believe it." Naruto said, holding up the disarming device for their explosives.

"Mom…" Anakin whispered. "We're free." He said, his eyes wide in shock.

Obi-Wan and Padme had taken the needed parts back to the ship with Artoo and HK, leaving the Namikazes with the Skywalkers.

Shmi smiled as she hugged her son, tears in her eyes. She looked at the Namikazes, a watery smile on her lips. "Thank you. Thank you both so much." She said, her voice choked with emotions.

Revan shared a look with her husband. "We would like to make you an offer, Shmi."

* * *

><p>Revan watched as Anakin packed, the boy's whole posture screaming defiance.<p>

"She wants the best for you." She finally said.

"What would you know?" Anakin asked as he shoved a wadded shirt into his backpack. Revan smirked and used the Force to pull it back out and fold it neatly. "Because my mother gave me to the Jedi when I was younger than you. You, at least, got to know your mother, Anakin. Mine feared me when I used the Force to float a stuffed animal to my crib as a baby." Revan said with a hint of sadness. "Many children are taken from their parents before they're five, and by the time their your age, they no longer recall who their families were."

"Why?" the boy turned to look at her curiously.

Revan sighed. "As long as I can remember, the Jedi separated families. They said it caused too much emotional conflict, and that it made it harder to gain control over your emotions."

"And they did that to you?"

Revan nodded as she folded his clothes and repack them into the backpack. "I was nearly six when Jedi Master Vrook came, and took me and my sister away. She was sent to one enclave, and I to another."

"Did you ever get to see her again?" Anakin asked.

Revan's eyes took on a faraway look. "Jayden was my twin. Even separated, we had a bond; all our people did. When a Sith Lord calling himself Exar Kun destroyed our world, our people were wiped out. We were the last."

"That's impossible!" Anakin said.

"I wish it was. I think that's when I began to look for power, for revenge. Jayden tried to talk me out of it, but with my best friend Malak supporting me, we hunted Kun down."

"You killed him." Anakin said with a nod.

"No. I beat him." Revan said. "I turned away, and was going to leave him for the Republic to put on trial." Revan closed her eyes. "Vyper however used the Force to send his lightsaber flying at my unprotected back. I sensed it too late to protect myself, and I was exhausted from the fights to get to him and with him."

Revan felt a pain she hadn't felt in a very long time. "Jayden, who had exhausted herself with fighting his troops, didn't use the Force, and instead threw her own body in the way and took the killing blow." Revan could still picture seeing the red bladed lightsaber penetrate her sister's body and sticking out her back.

Revan opened her eyes and looked right in Anakin's. "I took my first step to the dark side that day. I used my anger on Exar Kun, but it was not enough, and he escaped. By the time the Republic soldiers arrived, he was gone."

She put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "A year later, I led an army to war. By the end, I was so full of anger and resentment at the Jedi Council, that I took the army and went to war with the Republic, I hunted my fellow Jedi."

Revan felt an arm, and knew Naruto was right behind her. He knew everything about her.

"What happened then?" Anakin asked.

"I was given a second chance. Malak, my best friend, turned on me for more power. The Jedi saved me from death. For quite some time, I didn't know who I was, or what I had done, but when I did, I was sick as I recalled what led me to that point. I wanted nothing more than to die, to pay for all my sins. It was then that I was visited by my sister's spirit. She scolded me, told me to remember who I was, where I came from."

Naruto hugged her from behind and she grinned. "I found balance for myself. I found friends, family and love."

She smiled over her shoulder at her husband. "So, back to the origin of this tale. To start, I believe the Jedi are right, but at the same time, I feel that in later years, connections give us reason and purpose."

Anakin was still confused, but Naruto patted the boy on the head.

"Don't worry gaki. You'll understand when you're older." Naruto said, letting his wife go.

"Is Shmi ready?"

"Mom's coming too?" Anakin asked, immediately excited.

"For now." Revan said, her tone indicating that their final destination wouldn't be Anakin's or his mom's.

"Am I going to become a Jedi?" Anakin asked.

"Maybe, maybe not." Revan said with a shrug. "Hard to say. The future is always in motion."

"And if the fossils on the council won't take him, we go with Plan B." Naruto said with a sure grin.

"What's Plan B? And why couldn't I stay and hear what you said to my mother?"

"Some things you don't need to know, or aren't ready to know yet." Naruto said. "But in the future, you will be."

Anakin pouted, at not knowing what had been said.

"So what now?"

Revan nodded, and squared her shoulders. "Now, we go to our ship and get off this dust bowl."

* * *

><p>They were leaving the Skywalker home when they ran into Qui-Gon.<p>

"What are you doing out here?" Revan asked the other Master.

"Came to see what was keeping you. Obi-Wan was going on about picking up passengers." At this, his gaze landed on Anakin and Shmi.

"Hello." The Jedi Master said giving them a bow.

"Just admit you were being nosey, and wanted to stretch your legs." Naruto said, and Qui-Gon gave him a small grin, which was returned with a much larger one.

"Men." Revan said, rolling her eyes. She made the introductions, and Qui-Gon decided to be Shmi's escort as they left Mos Espa, Anakin taking the time to say goodbye to his friends. The Namikazes leading the way. The three Jedi, despite feeling something was amiss, never noticed the sensor ball near the top of a building, marking their presence and the direction they were headed in.

XX

Naruto squinted and looked around. They were a mile out of Mos Espa and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.

Revan saw him looking around. "_What is it, love?" _she sent through their bond.

"_I don't know. But I feel…You remember that time we went after Sasuke, and Akatsuki ambushed us?" _Naruto sent to his wife.

"_Yes. We managed to kill Hidan, but Sasuke got away. Well, he didn't die, but they were unable to put him back together, and he needed to meet some sort of killing quota with his god, in order to keep that immortality of his, so I'd say he's dead now." _Revan said, remembering that day the supposed immortal found out what happens when his supposed god and immortality met a pissed off woman wielding a lightsaber.

"_I'm feeling something disturbingly similar. I don't think its aimed at the boy or his mother, but at us." _Naruto confessed.

It wasn't until they were in sight of the ship that Qui-Gon, Revan and Naruto turned.

"SHMI! ANAKIN! DROP!" Qui-Gon and Revan yelled. As the two individuals hit the deck, a speeder bike passed over them, a figure in black flipping off and heading for the strongest individual he could sense: Naruto.

Caught off-guard, Naruto barely managed to get his blade in hand before the figure slammed his against it.

Turning to Revan and Qui-Gon, he knew he had their attention. "GO! I'LL DEAL WITH THIS ONE!"

Revan took a step forward. "But Naruto-"

"NO BUTS! GO! I CAN'T FIGHT AND PROTECT AT THE SAME TIME!" he fired back, shoving the cloaked figure back, and in doing so, knocking away his hood, revealing the red and black tattoos covering the Zabrak's face and neck.

Cursing violently, Revan picked up Shmi, while Qui-Gon picked up Anakin, and both Masters headed for the ship.

"You sure he will be all right?" asked Qui-Gon worriedly.

"If he dies, I'll kill him." replied Revan,

XX

Maul was not in the best of moods.

He'd found more Jedi than what was reported, and what was worse, his master had actually been wrong, for once. Sure, the older man would have been little problem for him to deal with. The woman, however, would have been trouble, and he may very well have lost against her.

That was not his immediate concern, however, seeing as the individual before him was at least twice as strong as the woman, if not stronger. How the blonde had managed to fool his Force Senses was beyond him, but one minute, he was ready to strike down what felt like a Padawan, and the next minute, he was being driven back by an opponent that could very well rival his master in strength!

"_I don't think I can win this fight..." _he thought, before shaking his head. "_NO! Master does not tolerate failure of ANY kind! I can do this. I HAVE to do this!"_

Backflipping, Maul activated the other end of his dual-bladed saber, nearly slicing the blonde's head clean off. "_Damnit! That was the only surprise attack I was going to get, and it failed! I'm really going to have to work for this one..."_

Naruto, meanwhile, was increasingly concerned with every stroke of the Sith's blade. "_This guy is strong, no doubt about that. The only problem is...is he the Master...or the Apprentice?"_

Blocking a leg sweep, Naruto spun into a full 360 roundhouse kick, catching the Sith in the ribs, and driving him back across the dunes. Maul retaliated with a Force Push, one Naruto countered with Futon: Daitoppa. Both attacks collided, and canceled each other out, a large cloud of dust enveloping the air.

"_I'VE GOT HIM!"_ thought Darth Maul, seeing the dust cloud as an advantage. Leaping forward, he thrust his blade through the blonde's torso, grinning as he heard him gasp, and-

_POOF!_

A small cloud of smoke erupted from where the blonde's corpse should have been, the cloud of smoke canceling out the cloud of dust, revealing nothing.

"_IMPOSSIBLE! I FELT HIM GET STABBED!"_

"RASENGAN!"

Maul barely flipped out of the way, the ground where he had once been standing erupting in a shower of sand and dirt. Wide eyed, Maul backed away from the now-revealed Ninja. Standing there, his green-white saber humming, Naruto glared daggers at the Sith.

"_What technique was that? I've never seen it used by either Jedi OR Sith! Wait a moment...I sense anger...yes, anger is rolling off him in WAVES...he's...he's using his anger to fight? That's impossible! Jedi don't use their anger. They are weak, and blind! They suppress their emotions, believing it to be for the greater good...but not this one...no, this one...this one is different..."_

Both combatants springing forward, the red and green blades clashed again, sparks flying as they slammed against each other again and again.

Naruto ducked under a overhead swipe, and thrust his blade at his opponent's gut. He merely deflected the strike with his own, and spun the blade around, intent on using the other side to slice off the blonde's arm.

Reversing the grip on his lightsaber, Naruto managed to direct the now downwards-angled blade to block the strike, before shoving the Sith off and spinning around, slamming his blade against Maul's yet again.

Back and forth they went, sweat streaming down the Zabrak's face as he was pushed back again and again by this juggernaut of the Force, his arms already weakening from the strain. Breaking another saber lock, the Sith swung his lightsaber in a wide arc, forcing the blonde to backflip away, or be bisected.

"_This is not good. At this rate, I'm the one who will be killed. Master said to only use this under dire circumstances, but I do believe this counts as one."_

Adopting a relaxed stance, Maul seemed to tense, then relax, his eyes closing as both hands loosely gripped his doublesaber. Breathing in and out slowly, almost as if he was meditating, Maul stopped moving completely.

Naruto stopped, as well. He KNEW the Sith was up to something, and whatever it was, it couldn't be any good. Springing forward, lightsaber in hand, he was prepared to end this conflict.

Snapping his eyes open, Maul moved at such a speed, that if Naruto had not had decades of experience dealing with extremely fast opponents, his head would have been cleaved from his shoulders. Instead, he aborted his strike, and with reflexes that could only be obtained from nearly a century of combat experience, threw his head back and bent backwards, the red energy blade searing over his face by mere inches.

Backflipping again, Naruto landed mere yards from the Queen's ship. Noticing his wife's frantic look, he nodded and turned to Darth Maul.

"I'm impressed." Maul commented. "You are the first Jedi I've ever encountered that has survived my Sith Speed Strike."

"Gee, thanks for the compliment." Naruto deadpanned. "You're not so bad, yourself."

Maul grinned, before noticing the Queen's ship preparing to take off. He began to sprint towards it, using the Force to increase his speed.

"Ohoho, no you don't, my friend." said Naruto as he reached into his pouch.

Nearing the Nubian cruiser, Maul's eyes widened slightly when a strange, three-pronged weapon crossed his path. His eyes widened considerably when that weapon suddenly turned into the blonde menace. Caught completely off-guard, the Zabrak could do nothing except block the blonde's blade, forcing him to cancel his Sith Speed, or risk losing his head in the process.

With a spinning axe-kick, Naruto nailed the Sith square on the top of his skull, sending him plummeting to the ground below. Creating a clone, he had it grab his arm, and fling him towards the ship's landing ramp, landing on it safely before deactivating his saber, and entering the ship.

Prying his face from the sand, he spat out a couple of mouthfuls before glaring at the sleek, silver ship as it shot off, slowing slightly before entering hyperspace. "_That blonde nerf-herder will pay...ooooohhhhh, will he __pay! I will gut him like a Ugnaught the next time we meet."_ He thought, standing and heading for the speeder bike, his mind not even trying to figure out how to report this failure to his master.

XX

(Onboard the Queen's ship)

"Are you okay?" Anakin asked rushing up along with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Padme and Revan. R2-D2, C-3P0, and HK-47 entering after them.

"I'm fine, Gaki." Naruto said, leaning against a bulkhead, panting slightly.

Revan said not a word, but instead embraced her husband, kissing him in between his panting breaths.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. You hear me?"

Qui-Gon leaned against another bulkhead, deep in thought.

"We're in trouble." He finally said.

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked his master.

"That Zabrak was trained. Sith trained."

"That's not possible. The Sith are dead and gone, aren't they?"

Qui-Gon shook his head at his Padawan's naivety. "We will be cautious and keep our eyes open. He was very skilled."

"No kidding. He managed to hold me off at 50% Normal Power." Naruto said.

Revan blinked. "You were using 50%? He was that strong?"

Naruto shook his head. "Probably around 55%, to be honest, but I was holding back. I didn't use Sage Mode, nor did I use the You-Know-What Transformation." he said, hinting to his Complete Tailed Beast Mode.

"Complaint Registration: Why wasn't I invited, Master?"

The eight turned to see HK-47 standing there with the assault rifle. Behind him was Shmi, looking nervous.

"Next time, HK. Next time." Naruto said, as he rested his head against his wife's.

"_Next stop: Coruscant." _Revan's voice intruded.

"_Er…this may be a bad time to ask, but do you think they've cleaned up after my last prank yet?:_

Revan sighed. "_You are such a child, at times."_

Everyone looked at the couple as they chuckled.

XX

Later that night, a figure crept across the main hold, stopping at the communications console. The dim lights reveal it to be Padme. As she taps several buttons, and turns the volume down to avoid waking the sleeping Anakin and Shmi on the acceleration couches across the way.

She listens to Bibble plead, and she sighs, her eyes holding exhaustion. She turns, and nearly yelps at Obi-Wan, having been caught in the act.

"Can't sleep?" he asks softly.

Padme gathers herself. "The Queen is worried. Her people are suffering…dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or…" she trails off, not sure what to say.

"Trying times are ahead." Obi-Wan says. He notices her slight shiver, picks up a spare blanket, and wraps it around her. "You're shivering."

"I guess I'm still adjusting from being on such a warm planet." Padme says, accepting the blanket.

"You don't seem to be bothered." She noted.

Obi-Wan smiled. "With Master Qui-Gon I got used to moving from place to place. Different climates." He shrugs. "The Force is a powerful ally."

"And such stylish robes can't hurt, either." She teased, getting a smile from as well.

"They serve their purpose." He countered.

Padme looks over, seeing Anakin asleep. "I wonder what will happen to him and his mother now."

Obi-Wan looked at the boy that had won both the most prestigious podrace in the entire galaxy, as well as their freedom. "Master Revan and Naruto have begun to train him, or as Naruto put it: Getting him into shape."

"So, you think he'll be a Jedi?" Padme asked.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "It is not up to me to say. The Council will be the ones who decide. Regardless of what happens, Master Revan and Naruto seem to have plans."

He looked at Padme, a grin on his face. "Why so concerned? You going to miss his crush?"

Padme narrowed her eyes at him. "Why? Jealous?" she countered.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "And pray tell, young handmaiden, am I supposed to be jealous?"

The two shared a look.

"If I have to tell you, then perhaps you aren't as wise as you think." She slipped around him, and headed back to the Queen's quarters.

Obi-Wan watched her go. Neither one had noticed the eyes from the acceleration couch watching them.

_**And there you have it! I know I said that I'd get to the fight several chapters ago, but I figured I'd go ahead and leave the podrace in. It's kinda fun to read about people crashing in glorious fireballs of death and destruction...at least it is for me, anyway.**_

_**Regardless, the fight with Maul got a major overhaul. It went from 1-on-1 in the original movie, to 3-on-1 in ESM's version, back to 1-on-1 in my version. I will tell you right now, if you don't already know this: Naruto is going to be a complete badass in this fanfic. A couple of times, he may very well fall short of god-status, but he's not perfect, despite most avid fans' belief to the contrary. Still, I hope you liked it, considering it took me nearly an hour to put the whole thing together.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Arrival at Coruscant**

(Flashback)

"You won't win, Uchiha, and you sure as hell won't be leaving alive." Revan said, standing between the comatose body of her lover, and the ill-reputed traitor of Konohagakure. "You go on and on about your unmatched lineage, the prowess of your dojutsu, the infallibility of your Sharingan, and yet, when it comes down to it, you're nothing but a spoiled gaki, helpless and weak when your Sharingan can't bail you out."

"Take it BACK, fox whore! The dobe has never beaten me ever since we were genin, and he never will." Sasuke said, his Sharingan eyes blazing. "The fact that you spread your legs for the weakest man I've ever known shows not only your stupidity, but your ignorance, as well."

Revan was not impressed. "Every time the two of you fight, Uchiha, he holds back. He's never once unleashed his full power on you. Never once has he actually tried to actively kill you. EVEN NOW, AS HE LAYS BEHIND ME, HE **LET** YOU POISON HIM!...to protect me..." Revan's voice began to break, the thought of her husband dying tearing at her very soul.

Wiping her eyes angrily, she glared sabers at the last Uchiha. "You used traitors to weaken him before you fought. Not even confident in your own strength, you feel the need to throw others away in order to achieve your goals. You care nothing about others, only yourself. You're not superior, Uchiha. YOU are the weaker one here, not Naruto."

Sasuke's eyes flared, his Sharingan spinning faster and faster before stopping, and morphing into his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Activating his ultimate bloodline, Sasuke attacked, using a shunshin to appear in front of Revan, his chokuto slicing through the air.

Revan brought her lightsaber up, intending to slice through the blade, eyes widening considerably when the blades collided, and held fast.

"_Impossible! Only a few weapons are known to be able to block lightsabers, and this blade is CLEARLY not made of cortosis. How is it not cutting through?"_

Looking closer, Revan can see a thin stream of lighting-style chakra running along the blade.

"_Is...is that electricity? He's a Raiton user, to be sure, but he can manipulate it to this degree? Shit, things just got a hell of a lot more tedious."_

Sasuke was equally stunned. _"How? Even if the Chidori Koken didn't cut her blade in half, the Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidori Gatana would electrocute her on the spot!"_

Cursing in his mind, he pushes off, backpedaling as he contemplates his next options. "_It doesn't matter. Even if I can't cut her blade, she can't cut mine. It's just as if we were both using regular tanto blades."_

Forming several hand seals, Sasuke inhaled, pulling his head back as Revan's eyes narrowed, remembering Sasuke's Katon jutsu from watching Naruto's fight.

"_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"_

A massive fireball rushed from his mouth, barreling towards the ex-Sith Lord, before deflecting to the left, impacting a growth of trees and turning them to ash.

Growling, Sasuke glared at Revan as she lowered her raised hand, glaring back at the Uchiha as he went through a second set of handseals.

"_Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu!"_

Sasuke inhaled even deeper than the last time, and Revan could sense an incredibly large build up of energy. "_Chakra." _she reminded herself.

Sasuke lept into the air, using trees as springboards to get higher and higher. As he reached the apex of his flight, he threw his head back and exhaled as hard as he could, the compressed flame spewing forth from his chakra coils, rushing out of his mouth and billowing out to massive proportions, the white-hot flame dividing itself in half and taking on the form of two Japanese dragon heads. Opening their mouths and barreling down towards the two individuals, the flames roaring as they make their decent.

Revan's eyes widened, having never seen a firestorm this large come from one individual. Knowing that her lightsaber would do her no good here, she clipped her weapon to her belt.

Delving deep within herself, she proceeded to draw upon the infinite reservoir of energy that is the Force. Sweat dotted her brow, running down her face as she aimed her hands directly at the roaring inferno barreling down upon her and her love.

Sasuke scoffed as he began to descend, knowing that even if she managed to survive somehow, the dobe would be turned to ash.

He was sorely mistaken.

Revan's eyes opened. She crossed her arms across her chest, and let out a loud battle cry as she thrust her hands back towards the flames, a massive Force Repulse impacting the Katon jutsu, both forces battling for supremacy. Using the powers of both the Dark and Light sides of the Force, Revan poured a massive amount of power into the attack, the dragon heads distorting, before being pushed back.

Sasuke landed on a nearby tree branch, and simply gaped. "_Impossible! That is an A-Rank Katon attack! There's no WAY she could hold that back, no matter how strong her strange power is! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!"_

Revan cried out again, adding even more power to the Repulse, causing the Katon jutsu to destabilize and explode, raining down ash and dust upon the ground. Slumping her shoulders, Revan heaved a huge sigh, before inhaling deeply, and calming herself.

Turning to Sasuke, she saw the look of rage upon his face, before it was unceremoniously replaced by a smirk.

"It seems I've underestimated you...I like your style, woman. Join me." He suddenly asked.

Revan looked at him, blinking and trying to discern his seriousness. When she confirmed his intent, a grin appeared on her face, and she laughed. "You know, I knew a man like you once. Yes, I knew someone who was almost exactly like you."

Sasuke waited. "What of it?"

"He disrespected me, and I sliced off his jawbone." She said, re-drawing her purple blade, and activating her red one, as well. "And I killed him years later. Now ask yourself this Uchiha: If I would do that to someone I considered my best friend and apprentice, what will I do to you?"

Sasuke frowned, inwardly seething at the rejection. His team dead, his plan foiled he simply scoffed before dissolving into the tree branch. "Mark my words, fox-slut, I **WILL** be back, and I **WILL** kill the demon. Maybe afterwards, you will consider helping me restore the Uchiha to its' former glory. Until then..."

Revan frowned, allowing her sabers to disappear into their seals before kneeling next to the blond who had captured her heart, Tsunade already by his side working diligently to remove the poison.

"You idiot." She said. "You wake up, we are going to break this bad habit you have of showing mercy to people who've tried to kill you."

Tsunade snorted as her hand continued to glowed green. "Good luck with that, girlie. I've known him since he was twelve. He's still the loveable baka who cares too much for his own good."

Revan stroked the whisker marks and sighed. "He's getting better." She said.

Tsunade nodded. The blond's path of destruction through the bandit camp that Team Hebi had created was testament to that. Naruto groaned as Tsunade finished removing the poison, fixing the small cut on his arm where it entered.

"What hit me?" he muttered as his eyes fluttered open.

"Danzo with a poison coated stiletto."

"Oh." The blond said, blinking before looking at Revan. "Very funny, hime. You and I both know he's dead"

"Nothing gets by you, huh?" Revan asked sarcastically, before softening. "It was Sasuke. He had his team attack you, remember?"

Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah...there were three of them...the girl was called Karin, as Sasuke mentioned her name almost immediately. Teme wanted to know how strong I was, the dirty cheat. Then there was the big guy...I think his name was Jugo, but I can't be sure. The last one told me his name...that's right, it was Suigetsu..."

Revan nodded. "You remember what happened next, right?"

Naruto nodded back. "Yeah...Jugo charged me, screaming something about avenging Kimimaro, the dude with the bone Kekkei Genkai I fought from my genin days. He was easy to avoid, and I hit him many times, but every time, he got back up."

"Suigetsu was more trouble. He could change himself into water at will. It was only when I used Rasenshuriken did I take him out."

Revan nodded, remembering the blades whipping through the water-Suigetsu, the shock apparent on his face as he was evaporated by the wind blades, Kubikiri Houcho falling to the ground with a _CLANK_.

Jugo, enraged even further by seeing one of his comrades fall to Naruto's jutsu, roared and charged the blonde, his fist transforming into a gruesome mesh of flesh and bone spikes. Aiming for Naruto's head, he was caught by surprise when Naruto caught the fist, the ground beneath his feet crumbling and giving under the force of the blow.

Naruto opened his eyes, the orange markings around his eyes indicating his activation of Sage Mode.

Crushing the fist in his hand, Naruto spun around, a Futon: Rasengan already in his hand. Driving the wind sphere into Jugo's head, ground through flesh and bone, despite Jugo's attempts to reinforce his cranial structure, but the addition of Futon Chakra made the Rasengan three times as lethal, tearing through the stone-hard bone and flesh like a katana through rice paper.

As Jugo's headless corpse fell to the ground, Karin, who had managed to work her way around the fight, threw poisoned senbon at Naruto, who merely took out a kunai, and either blocked or dodged them before looking at Karin. Creating a kage bunshin, he sent that one to attack her while he searched the area for Sasuke, whom he knew was around.

Sensing his clone disperse, he was forced to refocus on Karin as she attacked him with taijutsu, him ducking and weaving as she made a desperate attempt to kill the man her Sasuke-kun despised above all others.

Catching her fist much like he did Jugo's, he twisted her arm at an odd angle, the sound of snapping bone drowned out over Karin's shrill cry of agony. Letting go of her arm, he turned around as she dropped to the grassy floor below, clutching her arm and screaming in pain.

Naruto had no desire to kill any of them. However, he knew that they were here for one reason: to attack Konoha.

He was not about to let that happen.

Resuming his search for Sasuke, Naruto felt Karin's chakra flare up briefly, before he sidesteps her attempt at putting an explosive note on his back. Catching her other arm, he removes the explosive note, tearing it before it can explode, and breaking her other arm in the process.

Naruto is so focused on Karin that he barely notices the sudden spike in Killing Intent, and manages to sidestep a Chidori Eiso aimed for his heart, watching in disbelief as it impales Karin instead, the electrical spear causing her body to twitch before falling lifeless to the ground.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto turns to Sasuke, the Uchiha standing on a nearby tree branch as he retracts his attack, the Chidori Eiso becoming a normal Chidori before disappearing altogether.

"Greetings, Dobe."

"TEME! YOU KILLED ONE OF YOUR OWN TEAMMATES?"

Sasuke scoffed. "What of it? She was clearly weak, and aside from her Kagura Shingan, she was completely useless. Besides, after you die, and Konoha is razed to the ground, I would have no need of her anyway."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "What the hell happened to you, Sasuke? We were once friends! YOU WERE THE CLOSEST THING TO A BROTHER I'VE EVER HAD!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, the hatred in them as prominent as the sword on his back. "We were never friends, Naruto. You just fooled yourself into believing that, or simply believed what you wanted to believe. Never once...did I ever consider you a friend."

"THAT'S A LIE! We may not have always agreed, and we may not have always gotten along, but damnit, Sasuke, you and I were friends, no question! You protected me, and I protected you in return. Friends do that for one another!"

"We were teammates, and teammates protect each other only because it makes a mission go smoother if there are more people to back you up. There was nothing friendly about you and I, Naruto, and today, I'm going to sever that pitiful bond you foolishly cling to...once, and for all."

Sasuke drew his blade, leaping off the branch and plunging towards Naruto, Sharingan blazing and Chidori already in hand.

Tears streaming down his face, Naruto grit his teeth and leapt to meet Sasuke, Sage Mode still activated and Rasengan swirling in his palm.

"_You know...it's funny, Sasuke...you and I...could've easily been standing in each other's shoes right now..."_

"**CHIDORI!**"

"**RASENGAN!"**

(End Flashback)

Revan sat upright, sweat cascading down her naked form, and looked around. "_I hate remembering the number of times he's nearly died." _She thought as she looked at her husband, who was sleeping soundly. The pair had commandeered one of the cabins, more to the point of Revan telling anyone that if she didn't have alone time with her husband, they would get a Force-induced lightsaber enema.

He was sleeping on his back, his bare chest reminding her of their 'alone time' before sleep claimed them.

"_After all these years, it never gets old. In fact, it just gets better and better each time we do it." _She thought, as her memory recalled his touch, his kiss, his-

"_I keep thinking like this, and he's going to get molested in his sleep." _Revan thought as she got up and grabbed a robe, deciding to get some of the swill that the pilot Olee tried to pass of as coffee.

"_I'm spoiled by living with Naruto for decades on Ibonihs." _She thought, passing the sleeping Shmi and Anakin. Checking the wall chrono, she saw that it was still early morning.

"_Why do I keep thinking of that backwater world now? I mean, yeah I miss our friends, but most of them were old when we left. They have to be dead by now." _she sighed, pouring the coffee and carrying it back towards her room with Naruto.

"_I started dreaming of the Uchiha when we met the boy…wait, could that be a vision? Is he going to turn out like the Uchiha if he gets training in the temple?"_

Shaking her head, she finished her cup in several large gulps. _"I hate visions, especially cryptic ones."_

Slipping back into the room, she smiled seeing Naruto still asleep, his blond hair sprawled like its owner currently was.

Going to her knapsack, she picked up Bastila's Holocron that they'd found on Nar Shadda.

"_Do I really want to hear what the others have to say? Can I really take it after all this time?"_

Her fingers traced the markings on the Holocron, then she put it down with a sigh.

"Such a sigh from a beautiful woman. Your thoughts that deep, love?"

She looked over her shoulder to see Naruto awake and laying on his side, looking at her with concern.

"Just maudlin memories, I guess." She said.

"You had another dream." He said as a statement, not a question. "Which one this time?"

"When you fought the Uchiha." She said.

Naruto chuckled. "Gonna have to be a little more specific than that, hime. I've fought him multiple times."

Revan frowned. "The time I was there, and you got poisoned protecting me from his blade."

Naruto waited till she put her mug down before pulling her to him. "I'm right here, love. Alive and well. That was decades ago."

"I know." She sighed. "They started up again when we first met the boy."

"The gaki?" Naruto looked down at her as she rested her head on his chest.

She nodded slightly, and let a breath out. "Something about him reminds me of the Uchiha. I don't know what. Maybe it's his sporadic temper, I'm not sure."

Naruto paused, and Revan looked up to see his eyes unfocused. Shaking his head, he looked at her after a moments. "We'll have to be careful then. Right now, his future is shrouded within the Force."

"I'll talk with the trog when we get back to the temple." Revan said, as she enjoyed the sensation of being in her husbands arms.

"What will we do till then?" he asked with a teasing smirk.

"I suppose I could work on HK a bit." Revan said teasingly, and made to rise from the bed.

Naruto's hand was there just as fast as Jedi reflexes and pulled her back into bed atop of him.

"You spend more time with that droid, and I might get jealous."

"Of a droid?" she asked jokingly, then froze as a memory resurfaced. Her shudder had Naruto looking at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

Revan looked at him. "I just remembered a woman, back after the council had wiped my memories and I had taken up training again on Dantooine. I can't remember her name, but I do recall that her husband had died and she treated the droid as a replacement in everything."

Naruto looked a bit peaked. "That's sad to hear, babe...wait a minute...when you say 'everything', you mean..."

At her nod, he shuddered. "Not picturing that one, thank you very much."

Revan nodded, and continued. "Carth, Mission, and I found it out amidst the plains. It was letting the Kath Hounds destroy it." She sighed. "We killed the hounds, and were about to return it back to the enclave where his owner was waiting when it begged to be destroyed. I saw several paths at that point. I could comply, and tell its' mistress why. I could destroy it, and tell her that the Kath Hounds destroyed it. I could destroy it, and tell her it was still out there. Or, I could take it back."

Naruto listened. "And?" he asked when she had remained silent for several minutes.

"I listened as Carth made jokes and innuendo. I felt bad for the droid, so I promised it that I would destroy it and tell its' mistress that it had been savaged beyond repair by the hounds."

She sighed. "The worst part of the whole ordeal was...it thanked me as I brought my saber down."

Revan looked up at her husband. "I recovered its' memory core and later downloaded it to a database. What she did to that thing…" she shuddered.

"Some people, when they are hurt, will do anything to feel better." Naruto said, and Revan knew what he was talking about.

"Enough about that." She said, straddling him. "I'm feeling neglected." she pouted as his hands rested on her thighs.

He gave her a grin. "Really? Even after four hours last night?"

"Technically, it's a new day, dear." She reminded him.

His hands slid up to the belt of her robe, and gave it a tug. "Well, I wouldn't want to be accused of neglecting my wife, now would I?"

The robe parted, showing a vast expanse of tanned skin and aged white scars. Naruto traced them as his hands made their way up to her breasts, gently palming them as his thumbs rubbed the budding nipples, getting a soft moan from Revan, her hair loose from its braid hanging down her back as she arched into her husband's hands.

Revan's moan got louder as Naruto flipped their positions, and he was between her legs, his head moving down as he slowly kissed the expanse of skin. His tongue dancing around her belly button, he ghosted lower and lower, teasing her with short, hot puffs of breath on her oversensitive skin.

Naruto smiled as he kissed her inner thigh, his hands teasing her folds as Revan arched her back again, begging for more. He was just about to taste his wife's womanhood when the door chime sounded.

"GAAAAH!" Revan snarled in frustration as the home-wrecker proceeded to ring the bell several times.

Naruto rolled to the edge and grabbed his pants, and after zipping them up, he went to see who just "endeared" themselves to his wife.

It hissed open, and on the other side was one of the queen's handmaidens. "_Sable? Sadi? Sammy?...wait, I think it was Sabe." _Naruto thought, but shook his head. "Yes?"

"Her Majesty wishes to speak with you and Lady Revan before we arrive at Coruscant. The captain assures us we are nearing the system, and should be there in less than two hours."

Naruto sighed. "_Being a Jedi is almost as bad as being a ninja and a Kage." _He thought.

"Tell Her Majesty we will join her shortly."

The handmaiden nodded, and left. Naruto palmed the door control, and it hissed shut.

He barely managed to turn with the warning in the Force as his wife tackled him, her legs wrapping around him.

"She can wait." She growled.

Naruto knew from years of marriage to never argue with his wife as he carried her back to the bed. Despite his healthy stamina, his wife was the sex fiend of the marriage, and had rode him into unconsciousness plenty of times beforehand. The look she was giving him promised another heavy bout of lovemaking, and he didn't know if he was going to be able to walk straight afterwards.

XX

Obi-Wan looked at the wall separating the room he shared with his master from the room that housed the Namikazes, and knew that next time he traveled with both of them, he was going to see about getting a cabin further away.

"Must they do that again?" he asked, covering his head with a pillow.

Qui-Gon chuckled as he finished getting ready for the day. "Someday you'll understand, my young Padawan." he replied.

"I doubt it, Master. Unless the Order changes the Code, I highly doubt it."

Qui-Gon smiled, his grin widening even further as he heard Revan's cries of pleasure, and shook his head. "Obi-Wan is right, though. By the Force, they are loud." he muttered as he put his hair in its messy ponytail.

* * *

><p>Across the way, Revan cried out again as her third orgasm washed over her, her pussy convulsing around her husband's wonderful cock as she arched her back and moaned.<p>

Naruto groaned in response, his wife's clenching walls making it harder for him to hold back his own urges.

Feeling her tighten around him again, Naruto smirked before flipping her over, her legs still wrapped around his waist as he proceeded to pound his wife's womb into oblivion, her wanton cries of, "Yes...yes...YES..." echoing throughout the room as she gripped his arms tightly.

Gripping the sheets, Naruto managed to push off the bed, using his knees to keep him upright as his hips continued to pound into Revans, Naruto barely managing to get his hands into the familiar cross-shaped seal.

Revan felt the shifting weight, and opened her eyes to see Naruto getting ready, and her eyes widened. "Baby, you're not about to-"

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A modest puff of smoke filled the room. Dispersing, it revealed 3 separate clones standing near the bed, all with 8-inch erections and grinning madly.

Already knowing their tasks, the first clone went and sat on the floor, adopting a lotus position and closing his eyes. The other two simply waited, their grins never leaving their faces as Naruto and Revan stopped briefly, Naruto in anticipation and Revan in curiosity.

When the orange markings appeared around the first clone's eyes, Revan's face paled. She turned to Naruto to protest, but the sound of a dispelling clone had her whip her eyes back to the floor, watching the puff of smoke dissipate to reveal the same markings on both the clones and the original.

Grinning nervously, she turned back to her husband. "You're not serious about-"

Naruto cut her off, grinning like a madman. "Get her, boys."

Revan squealed as she was tackled by all three Naruto's, flailing playfully as she pretended to struggle.

The original Naruto laid down on the bed, having his wife straddle him and sink down on his cock. The second one came up from behind, spreading her cheeks before plunging his rod into her other hole. Revan barely got out a cry before the third Naruto shoved his meat into her mouth, Revan moaning as all three began to fuck her in synch.

As she rode her lover's cock, she could feel the two shafts piston in and out of her holes, the wall dividing the two continuously rubbed over and over, the sensation of being filled completely something Revan never got tired of. She eagerly sucked off the Naruto in front of her, wrapping her tongue around his throbbing shaft as her head bobbed back and forth eagerly.

Naruto could feel her tightening up with every stroke, the triple assault overloading her already stimulated nerves, and sending her into overdrive. He groaned as she began to bounce on his shaft harder, her hips eagerly slamming against his own as she strove to take as much of him into her as she could.

Back and forth, pistoning in and out at an ever-quickening pace, the second Naruto reached his climax first, tensing and slamming his cock into Revan's hole before shooting his load into her, feeling her tense and clamp around his invading rod as he pumped his essence into her asshole.

Revan moaned as she felt the first clone orgasm, her hole milking his cock for everything it had before he disappeared in a puff of smoke, the only traces left behind are her pleasured asshole and the cum inside.

Revan's slurping noises and ever increasing moans proved too much for the second clone. As she continued to tease the head with her tongue, flicking it across the slit before wrapping around it and rubbing back and forth across his length, the clone slammed his cock into her mouth-pussy several more times before he, too, reached his orgasm, his semen flooding Revan's mouth in a heated rush.

The clone jerked his cock into her mouth several times, pumping a load of cum into her mouth each time, before dispersing and leaving Revan her treat.

The original the only remaining blonde left, he watched his wife swallow the clone's load eagerly, licking her lips before looking down at him and smiling lustfully, purposefully clenching her inner muscles in the hopes of getting him to cum quicker.

Naruto groaned, leaning up to capture a bouncing breast as he pile-drived his dick into her, sucking and licking her budded nipple as the vibrations from his groans sent jolts of electricity through Revan, causing her to arch her back and cry out even more.

Wantonly riding his length, Revan wanted nothing more than for Naruto to finally succumb to his pleasure. She'd cum four times, now, and aside from his clones, Naruto had yet to cum once. She was going to change that.

Gripping her man by his shoulders, Revan started to slam her hips onto Naruto as hard and as fast as she could, feeling him immediately tense and moan, sending shivers down her spine as he continued his assault on her breasts.

Naruto began to tense, his cock now pushing into her womb as she skillfully used her pussy to massage his cock relentlessly, letting him know exactly what she wanted, and that she'd be damned if she didn't get it soon.

His resolve finally broken, Naruto gripped his wife's supple ass, groping it and using it as an anchor as he proceeded to thrust fully into Revan, the Jedi Master screaming his name as he pounded her pussy over and over and over, her eyes beginning to roll to the back of her head as she started to pant, already reaching her fifth orgasm, but determined to make her husband join her on Cloud 9.

With one last monstrous thrust, Naruto embed himself inside Revan, causing her to scream her orgasm to the heavens, her pussy clenching and convulsing around him as he erupted inside of her, moaning her name as he pumped stream after stream of warm cum inside the love of his life.

Arching her back, Revan screamed again as she creamed all over his cock, his warm semen pushing her orgasm to further heights as she nearly lost consciousness right there. Her body tensing, she finally came off her bliss-induced high and slumped on top of Naruto, panting heavily as every muscle in her body became lax.

Panting as well, Naruto loosely held his wife, his cock still twitching as the last droplets of cum entered her body, before his body simply relaxed.

"N...Na...Naruto...that was...Kami...that was good..." Revan panted, still trying to catch her breath.

Naruto chuckled. "You weren't so bad yourself, you know."

Revan smiled, kissing him deeply as the two simply enjoyed being in the company of one another, relishing their physical connection as well as their connection through the Force.

* * *

><p>The Naboo ship slipped across several lanes of traffic as it made it's final approach to the landing pad. Naruto was bouncing from foot to foot, anxious to be off the ship.<p>

Behind him, HK was making adjustments to his assault rifle, the droid eager to see how the Galactic Core had changed, and how many "Meatbags" were ready to test his skills.

Revan was quiet. The Queen had spoken, and asked for their support, but Revan reminded her that the current Order worked for the Senate.

"_If the order was like it was in my time, we wouldn't have that problem. We were separate from the Senate, and work in conjunction with them, but we had our own way, and didn't need the Senate's permission to do the right thing."_

Anakin was fidgeting, Shmi keeping a hand on his shoulder. Behind them was Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, then the handmaidens surrounding the Queen, and finally her guards.

The _THUD_ of the ship landing was smooth, and Revan looked at Naruto with a grin. "Master Yoda is here, and he feels…irritated with you. I wonder why..."

Naruto grinned, and it reminded her of the fox he once carried within him. "Not sure, love." He gave her the most innocent of eyes, but she knew he had done something.

"C'mon, spill…what was the prank you pulled before we left?"

"Prank? Who said anything about a prank?" Naruto asked innocently.

"You did, when you asked me not to tell your wife about it." Obi-Wan chirped from his place by his master.

"You hush, or I'll implement you as my accomplice."

"You don't know the meaning of the word." Obi-Wan fired back.

"Sure I do. I r an edumacated man now, silly."

Revan laughed hard at the last statement. She had to admit, over the years, her goofball of a husband took to learning languages with a vigor, and his mathematic skills had climbed once she showed him how it could be apply to tactics and battle. He also loved how they worked with his seals.

"Behave, and accept your punishment like a man." She said. "I also sense Master Windu isn't pleased with you, either."

Naruto snickered as the ramp lowered, and he smirked. "Let's go see the in-laws, shall we?"

Revan sighed, shaking her head. "You are such a child, at times. I wonder why I married you." Naruto's grin warned her that she was going to be embarrassed by whatever he said, although she had a pretty good idea that he was about to hit her with a curveball from left field.

"Because you saw me naked on my last training trip with Jiraiya, and haven't been able to keep your hands off me since."

"_Damnit, I knew it!" _she cursed. Behind her, the handmaidens could be heard giggling, and she could picture the blushes.

"I was drunk." Revan defended, and walked down the ramp before her husband could comment otherwise, a smirk on her face. She reached the platform and stopped dead, seeing the group of Jedi Masters to the side of the Supreme Chancellor and several senators.

Revan's eyes widened as she took in the Jedi's appearance, a large grin fighting its' way onto her face despite her best efforts. A snort escaped her lips, followed by full-blown laughter as she took in the neon pink and orange robes of the Jedi Masters, the said individuals frowning even more then they had beforehand as she doubled over in unrestrained mirth.

Naruto came down the ramp and stopped next to her, grinning. "Looks like someone had trouble with the laundry."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were next, followed by Shmi, Anakin, the Queen, and her entourage. The reactions ranged, from uproarous laughter from the guards and Anakin, to loud giggles from the Queen, handmaidens, and Shmi, to the gaping expressions of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

Yoda approached the blonde, his bright pink robes not hiding his disapproving expression. "The entirety of the Temple, pranked you have. Allowed access to the laundry room, revoked your privileges have been."

Naruto smiled at the head of the Council. "But Master Yoda, the pink makes you look years younger. And so cute, too."

"Hmph. Funny, it was. New robes, the entire Order now needs. Reprogram the droids in the laundry room, a long time it took."

Naruto shrugged, not at all embarrassed at being caught. "Look at it this way: It showed lax security that deep in the Temple, and now that you know about it, it can be corrected."

Mace Windu, in a bright orange robe, glowered at the ninja. "Security shouldn't be needed in the Temple. It should be safe by our presence alone."

Naruto looked at him. "Did the younglings enjoy it?"

Mace clenched his jaw. "They did."

"Discuss your punishment, later we will." Yoda said. They watched as the Queen and her escorts leave with Senator Palpatine, taking Shmi and Anakin with them, the boy kept looking back at them like a lost Inuzuka puppy.

Revan's hand on his forearm brought him back to the discussion, as Qui-Gon informed Chancellor Valorum of what had transpired with the negotiations."

Valorum sighed. "That is not the story that has been making its' way into the Senate." He said, feeling more tired than he ever thought possible. The current crisis only added to his already heavy burden. With the ever mounting discontent with his Chancellorship in the Senate, this crisis could very well cause him to be ousted.

Little did he know that his removal was part of the plan all along.

XX

(Jedi Temple)

Naruto smirked at the multitude of colors. "See, brown is so-"

"Scrub the training room, you shall." Yoda said as he hobbled along beside Revan's husband and his somewhat apprentice. "Consequences there are, for your actions."

"I know." Naruto said. He created twenty clones and sent them to work.

"Cheating, that is." Yoda pointed out.

"Just deal the cards, old man."

The Jedi Master chuckled as he did so. "Strange, it is. Feel like I should be scolding you, I do."

"Bah. You get too serious, and you'll lose focus when something big comes along. When I was Hokage, I found that taking time to have fun made things easier." Naruto smirked as he looked his cards over. "You know, Rev's going to be pissed when she sees you're teaching me how to play Pazaak."

"Hmph. Teaches you mathematics and skills, it does. Help you later in life, it can." Yoda muttered as he chewed on a root of some kind.

XX

Revan smiled as she closed the panel on HK-47's back. "Well, he did give you a few new upgrades, and I see no problem with the way they are functioning, so you can keep them."

"Thoughtful Statement: Mistress is too kind. Statement: Master showed me several glorious new ways to destroy more useless meatbags. Retraction: Master would not show me the power source for this 'chakra' he talked about. Joyous Interjection and Inquiry: Perhaps Mistress could install the new power source into my systems so I could be more effective in my tasks?"

Revan smiled and patted the droid on the shoulder. "I'm afraid not, HK. In order to use chakra, you have to be…well, you have to be like Naruto and I."

"Query: An efficient and effective killer?"

"Negative." Revan said. "You need to be, in your terms, a meatbag."

"Disheartened Statement: Oh Master, what a cruel jest!" HK said.

"If you're well-behaved, we'll take you to the lower levels. I'm sure there are swoop gangs you can use as target practice."

"Joyous Jubilation: Oh Master! Your kindness knows no bounds. Statement: As I informed the other master, if you were but a droid, you would be a perfect match for this unit."

Revan shook her head, and recalled HK saying something like that before. "Alas, poor HK, I am but flesh and blood."

"Compassionate Statement: I won't hold it against you, Master. Your programming may be faulty at times, but you always revert to basic operating procedures when it counts most. Amended Statement: You always find the biggest battle/brawl/fight/riot/all-out, no-holds-barred, down and dirty street fight to get into that allows me to showcase my glorious programming to its' fullest."

Revan remembered the time on the Star Forge. While her and the others went to find Bastila and Malak, HK, along with Zalbaar and Canderous Ordo, carved a path of destruction throughout the giant weapon manufacturing station. Revan remembered Ordo offering her a fortune, enough to buy a moon, for HK, but she'd declined. Both the droid and the Mandalorian seemed depressed with that for a time.

"I'm going to workout for a bit." She said, grabbing her lightsabers from the rack Naruto had built for them. "Run a diagnostic, and I'll install that new computer package after dinner."

"Compliance: Affirmative, Mistress."

"And top off your power pack. I don't know what's coming, but I think it will make our adventure on Tatooine look tame."

"Joyous Statement: I hope so, Master. The more carnage, destruction, and death we encounter, the more this unit enjoys itself."

Revan left the room shaking her head, and knew that the Exile must have altered some of the programming. "_I don't remember HK being this hopped up on blowing things up last time…of course, the last time I saw him was four thousand years ago. Maybe I've gotten soft."_

With a shrug, she left to practice some saber forms. "_With the Sith around, I'd best not be lax."_

XX

Revan smiled, seeing Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon on the mats. "Hello boys. Want to help me out?"

Both shook their heads and backed away. Revan pouted. "Aw, no one wants to play?"

"I'll work with you, Master Revan." She turned to see Mace Windu step up with his purple lightsaber. "I don't get enough time to spar with council duties, anyway." He said.

Revan smiled, and went into her stance, one blade pointing up, the other diagonally across in front of her.

They moved without word. Revan smiled and after a series of parries and blocks, she stepped away. "Interesting style. This is the famed Vaapad I've heard so much about."

Mace nodded. "Your style…it is a merging of forms."

"Yes. While I was on Ibonihs, I needed to alter my styles to work with their type of combat. The seven Jedi and seven Sith forms, when untied, actually make a better style than either one separately."

Obi-Wan off to the side looked at his master and asked, "Did she say Sith styles?"

"She did. In Revan's time, the Sith had saber forms all their own. Over time, they were lost to history. I think she, outside of a holocron, is the only one to remember them. If she ever takes on an apprentice, they will learn much from her."

"What about Naruto?" Obi-Wan asked of his friend.

Revan must have heard him, as even though her blades were attacking and blocking Mace's she answered. "I've taught Naruto the basics of all of them. Mixed with his fighting style, he's created something new. Add in his Kage Bunshin's and it transforms it into something even more dangerous."

Obi-wan paused then spoke. "I saw him in the workshop making several more lightsabers."

Revan nodded as she landed after a flip, and stabbed back with her red blade. Mace managed to avoid getting impaled on it, using his own blade as a buffer before he rolled away.

"Yeah, he's got another idea. We'll just have to wait and see." She spun with a flurry into the Soresu form and before she finished spinning, she flipped into the Ataru form, hurling Mace backwards before the Master landed on his backside.

Mace was on his back, blinking. "How?"

Revan gave him an easy going grin. "I have had four thousand plus years to brush up on my forms." She deactivated her lightsabers, and they vanished with a poof of smoke. Mace accepted the hand up, and stood with a groan. "I'm getting too old for this."

Revan laughed. "When you get to be my age, then you can complain. You just need to get in the gym more. Too many sessions on your butt, you'll start to look like a Hutt."

Mace smiled at the easy going manner of Master Revan. "I didn't know some of those forms. They most definitely caught me off-guard." He said.

"As I said, I combined some Sith forms with Jedi forms, and then I combined some of the sword styles from Naruto's home world and the end result is-"

"Master Windu needing to practice more." Obi-Wan interjected.

"Don't you have something to do, Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Nope." came Obi-Wan's quick reply, before he facepalmed at his mistake

Revan laughed as Qui-Gon assigned him to find Naruto and see if he needed help.

"Never admit you have nothing to do, Padawan. Masters love giving random jobs."

"And you don't?" Obi-Wan countered.

"Ben, I'm married. It's my right."

Mace and Qui-Gon chuckled as Obi-Wan left just in time, as Revan was telling them a tale about the time her and Naruto had to fight a group of hunter-nin, and the idiots had broken into their hotel room-

"_By the Force, she has no shame, does she?" _He thought, and was relived not to hear what happened next as he turned the corridor, the Force leading him deeper into the temple.

"I wonder what Master Yoda has him doing as punishment?" he mused, thinking of the number of jobs he'd gotten assigned to when he was a youngling and broke the rules.

Obi-Wan was surprised when he found the pair playing cards, both having piles of credits in equal amounts.

"What is this?"

Yoda's chuckle joined Naruto's. "Hey Ben. How was saber practice?"

"Gambling-"

"Join us, you must." Yoda said.

"Yeah, we're sort of deadlocked, and you can keep Master Yoda honest."

"Hmph. Cheat, I do not."

"You use the Force. I feel it."

"Imagining, you are."

Obi-Wan sighed as he was soon dealed into the game. His meager allowance of credits was being consumed and the opposition was chuckling and outright laughing at his poor misfortune.

"_Maybe I should have stayed for Revan's story, at least this way I wouldn't be broke."_

* * *

><p>Back in the workshop after loosing his allowance, Obi-Wan looked at his "Friend". "Why are you making so many lightsabers?" he finally asked.<p>

"I had an idea while HK and I were out hunting bounties." Naruto said, as he adjusted the focus lens and inserted an emitter.

"Where did you get all the parts?" Obi-Wan asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Naruto smiled. "Found some on Tatooine, others Rev had in her vault. Master Yoda gave me a couple of parts and crystals as well."

"Gave?" Obi-Wan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay, I wheedled them out of him in Sabaac and Pazaak." Naruto admitted.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "So is that what the two of you have been doing all the time?"

"No. We were training those times. But while my clones were cleaning up as my punishment for dying the robes, Master Yoda and I were relaxing and talking."

Obi-Wan nodded as he recalled the varied topics the two discussed. From application and theory, to about Naruto's youth and his training as a ninja, to the newest lifeforms that they brought back with them.

"Are you and Revan serious about presenting the boy to the Council this evening?" he asked.

"Yeah. Can't hurt to have him tested." Naruto said with a shrug.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I think it's a bad idea. He's too old-"

Naruto gave him a look. "And what am I? Sushi?"

"No, but you had training of sorts long before you came here and-" Obi-wan shrugged.

"If he was in Konoha, he'd be added to a class. There is no such thing as 'too old for training'." Naruto said.

Obi-Wan conceded the point. "You might be right. At least teach him the basics to make sure he doesn't go astray later."

Naruto shook his head. "Revan said that even Masters can turn. This nonsense of training you all from a young age to resist using your emotions is a bunch of cow hockey." Naruto closed up the hilt he was working on and stood.

Obi-Wan stepped back and watched as Naruto activated the lightsaber. The orange blade sprang to life with the comforting and familiar _SNAP-HISS_. The steady hum brought a smile to Naruto's face.

"I could make these for a living."

"Actually, you couldn't." Obi-wan said. "Each Jedi makes their own. It's part of the process and trials."

Naruto shrugged and put it on the bench before picking up some tools.

"Your putting runes on it, as well?" Obi-Wan asked in surprise.

"Yup. Hey, you want me to put a few seals on yours?" he asked.

"I'm not sure…" Obi-wan said. He did admit to himself that he was intrigued, but until he learned more about chakra and Naruto's world, he wanted to wait in order to make an more informed decision.

"Its okay. Rev took a bit of time, too." Naruto said with a grin as he remembered his wife's early statements of "Barbarism" and "Backwater Mysticism".

"I hear that the Senate will be meeting tomorrow." Naruto said, surprising Obi-Wan with the change of subject.

"Yes, they will be in session. The Queen will be attending, and bringing the Naboo's troubles with the Trade Federation to light, and their recent occupation of her world." Obi-Wan said.

"I always hated council meetings when I was Hokage, and I had to deal with only twenty-four people." Naruto said as he started working on another lightsaber. "No one can agree, and everyone believes that their problems and issues matter the most."

Obi-Wan listened as his friend described his time as Hokage. "There were times I was tempted to get rid of them all, but they did help...somewhat. It took me a lot of time to learn to play politics, but Rev helped me. When I named Konohamaru Sarutobi my successor, I'd already spent years teaching him to take over."

Naruto smirked. "I think that was the best birthday present I ever got him when I named him Hokage, and put the hat and robes on him."

Laughter from the door turned both to see Revan with Qui-Gon. "I have a photo of that." She said. "I didn't know his eyes could get that wide."

Naruto smiled as his wife kissed his forehead, and looked at the workbench and the lightsabers. "How many more?" she asked.

"This is the last one." Naruto said.

Qui-Gon looked at the lightsabers. "Twelve?" he asked.

"Thirteen if you count his first lightsaber." Obi-Wan corrected, and Naruto nodded. "After I'm done with this one, I'll show you an attack I thought of while me and HK were bumming around Tatooine."

"Speaking of HK…" Revan said, putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Care to explain what jutsu you used that fascinated my droid into thinking you were the greatest thing in the galaxy."

Naruto chuckled. Obi-Wan was amazed that the blond was able to concentrate on building a complex lightsaber while at the same time holding a conversation. He looked at Revan and noticed she wasn't surprised.

"Well, it was a series of jutsu actually." Naruto admitted. He looked up from his work to see Revan's eyes starring at him. "Hirashin, Rasengan, and a few Katon and Suiton attacks."

"Which?" Revan asked.

"Er…Gokakyu no Jutsu, a couple of low-level water attacks like Suiben, Mizurappa, and Suiro no Jutsu." Naruto said while working. Obi-Wan was amazed how quickly Naruto's hands were connecting wires, placing emitters, and adding several small gems.

"He wanted me to install chakra in him so he could, in his words-"

"I know his words." Naruto said. "That droid has issues."

Revan laughed.

"Really, Revan." Qui-Gon said. "You should wipe the droid's memory banks. It's not proper for a Jedi Master to have an assassin droid."

Revan sighed. "He's more than a droid. He's my friend." She said, and felt Naruto's hand take hers.

Naruto understood. She smiled at him. The Namikazes shared a moment before Naruto went back to work.

Obi-Wan, however, had to open his mouth. "Did you know Naruto and Master Yoda were playing Sabaac and Pazaak?"

Naruto winced as his wife turned her gaze on him. He pretended he didn't notice, and kept working on his lightsaber, mentally vowing to get revenge on the treasonous Padawan.

XX

The Council room was packed as the Namikazes entered.

"I think we draw a crowd, dear." Naruto said as he looked around to see the Masters gathered in the chambers.

"We are interesting to them, as we do things differently." Revan said. "How do you wish to do this?"

"Do what?" asked Mace Windu.

Naruto sighed. "Might as well get this over with." Staring at the assembled council, began to convey the seriousness of the past few days' events.

"We encountered a Sith Lord."

Silence reigned throughout the room. Not a sound was made, a piece of clothing ruffled. All the masters were in complete shock at the declaration.

Yoda managed to find his words first. "Sith Lord, you say? Confirmed this, you have?"

Naruto and Revan both nodded.

"I was once a Dark Lord of the Sith myself, so I would know. He was, without a doubt, a Sith Lord." Revan said.

"Impossible." Ki-Adi Mundi spoke up. "The Sith have been extinct for millenia, since the fall of the Brotherhood."

"Certain you are, that it was a Sith?" Yoda asked again.

"Revan is. And she would know best, don't you think?" the blond asked.

Yoda nodded. "Hm. Talk we will, further into the session. Examine the initial report, we will."

"And about the boy?" Naruto asked.

"Summon him to us, we shall. Test him we can, guaranteed not what his fate will be."

Naruto nodded, while Revan remained quiet and rested her head against his shoulder. "If he's not permitted, I…we have alternate ideas."

Yoda looked at him curiously. "He needs focus." Naruto said.

"Discuss it more in session, we shall. Call you we shall, when the meeting begins."

Naruto and Revan bowed, leaving the chambers and heading to their room.

They remained quiet, and in deep thought, until they received summons from the council, indicating that the meeting was about to begin.

_**Another chapter done, another lemon posted for all the world to see, and yet another confirmation of my wickedly devious mind at work. I love springing surprise lemons onto unsuspecting readers. It's so much fun!**_

_**Anyway, this chapter delved a little bit into Naruto and Revan's past life on Konoha, and you all got to learn the fate of Team Taka. If Naruto seemed a little ruthless in his dealings with Taka, the reason is because he's protecting his friends, his family, his love, and his home. I dare any of you to try and defend something you really, truly care for, and not get pissed off that someone/something is threatening it. You will fail every time.**_

_**Regardless, Ch. 12 is complete, and I'm hittin' the hay.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: The Prophecy Foretold**

_**Naboo, in the Throne Room of Theed...**_

Viceroy Nute Gunray entered the Throne Room, seated in his personal Mechno-chair and flanked by several B-1 Battle Droids as he spoke to Govenor Sio Bibble.

"The Queen is lost, your people are starving, and YOU, Govenor, are going to die much sooner than your people, I'm afraid."

Bibble remained defiant. "Your invasion will gain you nothing. We're a democracy. The people have decided."

Gunray scoffed, waving his hand in dismissal. "Take him away."

Several droids broke off and escorted the govenor back to the concentration camps.

A command droid approached Gunray. "My troops are in position to begin searching the swamps for these rumored underwater villages. They will not stay hidden for long."

XX

"To discuss, much we have." Yoda said, bringing the council meeting to order. Twelve Jedi Masters of well-deserved renown sat in a circle around the open room. In the center stood Naruto, Revan, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, who had once more given their report about what had happened with the mission and the events.

"Now, discuss this boy, I sense you wish to do?" Yoda inquired.

"Yes." Revan said. "With your permission, Masters, I've discovered a virgence in the Force. During out travels, I discovered a boy whose cells have some of the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I've ever seen." "_Not counting myself and Naruto." _Revan added mentally. "And after talking with the boy's mother, I feel he was conceived by the midi-chlorians."

Mace looked at her in shock. "A virgence, you say? Located around...a person? You're referring to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force." He said. "You believe it's this...boy?"

At her questioning look, he remembered that Revan had no clue as to what he meant, so he elaborated. "It tells of the one who will bring balance to the Force."

Revan snorted. "Horse hockey." She said. "I don't believe in prophecy. Prophecy is for weak-willed people that can't think for themselves. No. Because I could take my lightsaber and decapitate him tomorrow and that would destroy your prophecy."

"I presumed to think it, Master." Qui-Gon said, and told them his thoughts after running the test. He, like Revan, left out her and Naruto's test results, uncertain on what to make of Naruto's result of 100,000. He had nearly had a heart attack when, shortly after giving up the reading, the machine started to smoke, then died altogether.

"I, like Revan, am curious and request that the boy be tested." Qui-Gon says.

The seated Jedi Masters share looks with one anoher. They nod and turn back to Revan and Qui-Gon.

"Trained as a Jedi, you request for him?" he knew this after his talk with Naruto over their game, but Yoda wanted it voiced before the council.

Qui-Gon spoke up. "Finding him was the will of the Force. There can't be doubt in that."

Revan bit her tongue at that. She had her own opinion, but Mace spoke up with a resigned sighed. "Bring him before us, then."

"Tested, he will be."

XX

Anakin had been brought in, and the four were asked to wait elsewhere.

Revan took that with a grain of salt, and dragged her husband back to their quarters.

"What's bothering you, Rev-hime?" Naruto asked as they cuddled on the sofa.

"They aren't taking the report of the Sith seriously. I think with what we've encountered and seen, we need more than three Jedi and a Ninja trained in the Jedi arts."

"We've got HK." Naruto said, and Revan laughed. "Turn him loose on the Trade Federation."

Revan had to admit that her husband was right. Her droid would love nothing more than to cut loose.

"You think the gaki will pass their tests?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. But…" she looked up from here she was snuggled against his chest. "They won't make him a Jedi."

"Certain, are you?" Naruto said in an imitation of Yoda's voice.

"Yes I am. Now, lets not worry about tomorrow. Give me some suger, baby."

"Yes, my sweet master." Naruto said kissing his wife, both of the connecting in more ways than physical.

XX

Standing before the council again, Qui-Gon, Nauto and Revan were with Anakin as they looked at the assembly.

"The Force is strong with him." Ki-Adi Mundi started.

"He is to be trained, then?" inquired Revan.

Mace shook his head slightly. "No, he will not be trained."

Qui-Gon stepped forward. "No?"

Mace continued. "He's too old."

Qui-Gon put his hands on his hips. "He IS the Chosen One. You must see it."

"Mmmm..._clouded_, this boy's future is." Yoda replied.

Qui-Gon sighed, the Namikaze's remaining silent as they could feel the frustration rolling off of Qui-Gon.

Stepping behind Anakin, Qui-Gon placed his hands on his shoulders. "I will train him then. I take Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan Learner."

An apprentice, you have, Qui-Gon. Impossible it is, to take on a second."

"The Code forbids it." Mace concurred.

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Obi-Wan is ready. He is willing and able to take the Knight Trials."

Yoda shook his head. "Our own council we will keep, on who is ready."

Qui-Gon was not deterred. "Obi-Wan is headstrong, and has much to learn from the living Force, but he is capable. There is little more he can learn from me."

Yoda sighed. Qui-Gon's stubbornness most definitely reminded him of a certain ex-Sith Lord and her husband. "Young Skywalker's fate, decided later, it will be. Not to be trained, for now he will be."

XX

The young boy ignored the Namikaze's as he left.

"We can-"

"I don't care." The boy said. "I'm going back to my mother." He said, boarding the waiting speeder and leaving, Yoda's words echoing through his mind.

_(Flashback)_

"A ship...a cup...a ship...a speeder..." said Anakin.

Mace was testing his senses, his ability to sense things without using his eyes. He nodded to Yoda after Anakin finished, confirming that the boy had passed the last test.

Yoda rubbed his chin, humming softly. "How feel you?"

Anakin shrugged. "Cold, sir."

Yoda nodded. "Afraid, are you?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, sir."

Yoda pointed a gnarled finger at the boy. "See through you, we can."

Mace concurred. "Be mindful of your feelings."

Ki-Adi Mundi followed suit. "Your thoughts dwell on your mother."

Anakin nodded. "I care about her."

Yoda hummed. "Afraid to lose her, are you?"

Anakin shrugged. "What does that got to do with anything?"

Yoda replied. "EVERYTHING."

He continued. "_Fear_ is the path to the Dark Side. _Fear_ leads to _Anger_, _Anger_ leads to _Hate_, _HATE_...leads to _Suffering." _

Looking Anakin directly in the eyes, the Grand Master spoke. _"_I sense much _Fear_ in you."

_(End Flashback)_

Naruto put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "We'll speak with him after the sting of rejection eases a bit." He said, remembering his own feelings at failing the academy. "His mother will help."

Revan sighed. "I hate being right."

Naruto smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders and planting a kiss on her temple. "No, you don't. You love being right."

"I suppose we should see the Queen." Revan said.

"Let Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon be her shadows for now. I want quality time with my beautiful Jedi Master."

Revan laughed. "You do need some 'Saber' practice." She laughed and rushed off, Naruto chasing her through the corridors of the Temple, their laugher having many look at them and shake their heads at the display.

XX

Obi-Wan stood outside the apartment, waiting for the Queen and her handmaidens.

"Jedi Kenobi." One of the handmaidens said, greeting the Padawan.

"Handmaiden Sabe." He said. "Is Padme around?" he inquired.

She paused. The Queen came out wearing full regal robes and makeup. "I have sent her on an errand, it will take her some time. We will let her know you inquired about her."

Obi-Wan bowed and felt his master approaching. He saw the man accompanied by the Queen's guard, Captain Panaka.

"The transport is secure, Your Highness." Panaka said after giving a bow. "The Senate is forming for session as we speak."

She nodded and they headed for the building, where events were about to change the course of the galaxy.

The Queen paused next to Obi-Wan and inquired. "I heard that the boy…Anakin Skywalker, I believe, was taken to the temple…"

"He passed the tests, but the council felt that his emotions were far too unbalanced to become a Jedi." He said. "Master Revan Namikaze and her husband were going to offer him alternate training, but he was too upset to speak with them, and left to return to the apartment that his mother found."

The Queen nodded and continued on, followed by the Jedi and surrounded by her guards and Handmaidens.

XX

Revan watched from the Jedi balcony as the Senate fought. She could see the Naboo platform and the old man next to the Queen.

"Who is that?" she asked.

Mace looked "Senator Palpatine, the representative from Naboo."

Revan narrowed her eyes. The Force warned her about him. Not exactly what, but it was a feeling she didn't like, and she made a mental note to keep an eye on the man when she could.

Supreme Chancellor Valorum's voice echoed throughout the now silent room. "The Chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo."

The hoverpod holding both Palpatine and the Queen dislodged itself from the wall, floating forward to regard the Senate.

Palpatine stepped forward, regarding the entire assembly. "Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate...a tragedy has occurred which started right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation."

The flotilla carrying the representatives of the Trade Fedaration and Cato Nemoidia swooped in, cutting off Palpatine. "This is outrageous! I object to the Senator's statements!"

Valorum regarded the representative with disdain. "The Chair does _not_ recognize the representative from the Trade Federation at this time!"

Palpatine continued, undeterred at the interruption. "To state our allegations, I present the recently elected leader of Naboo, who speaks on our behalf."

Palpatine took his seat, Queen Amidala rising to take his place. "Honorable representatives of the Republic. I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by the droid armies of the Trade-"

"I OBJECT!" cried out the Trade Federation representative. "There is no proof! This is incredible. We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth!"

A third flotila made itself known. "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegates of the Trade Federation. A commission _must_ be appointed."

Valorum began to reply. "The point..." before his advisor, Mas Amedda, pulled him off to the side, and proceeded to whisper into his ear.

Palpatine leaned towards Amidala, whispering as well. "Enter the bureaucrats. The TRUE rulers of the Republic. And on the payroll of the Trade Federation, I might add. THIS...is where Chancellor Valorum's strength...will disappear."

Valorum once again regarded the Senate. "The point is conceeded. Will you defer your motion, to allow a commission to explore the validity of your accusations?"

Queen Amidala's face hardened. " I will NOT defer. I have come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty NOW! I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee! If this body is not capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed. I move for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership."

The Senate soon broke up at that.

Valorum was thunderstruck. Not even able to stand, he slumped into his seat, his disbelief apparent on his face as throughout the chamber, the whole of the Senate began chanting, "VOTE NOW! VOTE NOW! VOTE NOW!"

Palpatine once more whispered to Amidala. "Now they will elect a new Chancellor. A strong Chancellor. One who will not let our tragedy continue."

XX

"Something bothering you, Master Revan?" Ki-Adi asked from his seat.

"That felt like the galaxy's biggest set up. This whole Trade Federation thing smells worse than a decomposing Bantha."

Mace was on a com-link. "Qui-Gon says the Queen has returned to her apartment for the evening."

Revan nodded. "I need to find my husband. We'll meet with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan at the Naboo embassy."

She reached out through the Force to her husband, and felt a chill run down her spine at the feedback she got.

_**Coruscant, Lower Levels...**_

"Joyous Statement: DIE, MEATBAGS!" HK-47 intoned, opening fire on a swoop gang.

Naruto shook his head as the droid enjoyed itself decreasing the surplus gang population.

Naruto avoided using his lightsaber, as he didn't want this getting back to the temple.

"_Which is fine, as I have other skills to draw upon." _The blond thought as he leapt high and came down in the middle of a group of Rodian and Trandoshan's. his hands lashed out, palms open as he cried out "Futon: Daitoppa!"

The thugs cocked their eyebrows, before being hurled into the nearby walls, one slamming into a dumpster and another making a head-dive into a pile of trashcan droids, which quickly got up and fled, their stubby legs carrying them as fast as they could.

In the distance, he heard HK's robotic chuckle as well as the "Warning :FIRE IN THE HOLE!" as the assault rifle launched a grenade into a group of swoop riders and their bikes.

Naruto had to admit, the explosion was spectacular. He had talked with Coruscant Security, and told them that he and his droid would deal with the lower city swoop gangs they'd been having trouble with lately.

"_The look on their faces was priceless. They didn't believe me when I said we'd take care of them. I just didn't tell them that it would be a permanent solution." _Naruto thought, as he dodged a swipe from one of the aliens and buried a kunai into its neck.

"_I really need to bone up on my alien species, as well as continue learning languages." _Naruto thought as he sent a hail of shuriken into one of the pig men

"_Gamorrean." _Naruto mentally corrected.

HK was dealing with several more, and had switched to close-combat weaponry. Naruto had to admit the vibro-switchblades were works of art. "_Four thousand plus years in storage, and they are as sharp as the day they were forged."_

Naruto looked around, and found that the swoop gang was completely eliminated.

"HK, gather the bodies. We'll drop the ones that have bounties on them off at the bounty office."

"Curious Inquiry: Master, how shall we carry them all if we don't have a speeder?"

"Watch." Naruto said, pulling out a scroll.

"Inquiry: Is this more of that Chakra that you and Mistress possess?"

"Yes, HK. Its more of that chakra that me and Rev talk about and use."

"Side Note: Similar to that mythical force the Jedi use. Regretful Sigh: This unit seems to be ineffective in learning the new ways of killing that Master and Mistress seem to exhibit."

Naruto wasn't sure how to respond. Then he remembered Gai and Lee's way of dealing with things. "But you are very effective already, HK. Why would you handicap yourself with our ways when you already shine brightly with the perfect methods of death and destruction."

The droids photo-sensors seemed to be scanning him. "Jubilations and Joyous Statement: Master is wise for being a composite of weak flesh and gelatinous liquids."

"Er…thanks…I think." Naruto said. Once the bodies were stacked, Naruto drew the seal and the bodies vanished. He handed the scroll to HK. "Come on, I think I saw a lift that will let us out near the Bounty Office."

XX

(Jedi Temple)

Master Yoda looked at Revan. "Exploring, Naruto said he would be."

Revan growled, and just KNEW that her husband was getting into trouble.

"Before I forget." Yoda said getting her attention. "The boy, Skywalker…"

Revan nodded. "I need to speak with him and his mother about the alternative. I just don't seem to have the time."

"Allow him time, after the mission with the Naboo is finished, you can." Yoda said.

"I guess you're right." Revan said. "Speaking of time, how is my husband doing learning with you?"

Yoda chuckled. "Challenging as an apprentice, he is. Not since Dooku, have I been kept on my toes as often." Yoda looked at her. "Learned much from your holocron, have I. Inquire about the second one, you mentioned."

Revan sighed. "It was when I was a Sith Lord. I left it behind. I have studied the archives here, and believe it was found by a Sith Lord named Darth Bane. It's what started the Sith Rule of Two, I think it was a thousand years after I left." She said with a shrug. "Not many Sith leave records, and I am ashamed to say those that I did leave weren't likely to have survived this long."

"Redeemed, you were. Saw the error of your ways, you did. Few, are there, that can claim to have walked both sides and come away unscathed." Yoda said. "Most fortunate, you are."

"I was marked." Revan said softly. "It took me centuries to heal. To undo the damage I did to myself. Master Vandar once told me, after the Star Forge, that I was a tale of redemption and hope. I prefer to think that I am a warning to younglings."

Yoda nodded. "Many younglings, Knights and Masters even, make mistakes and fall to the Dark Side, they do."

"Sounds like you have a tale or two of your own." Revan said to the strange little master.

"Much I have learned, in my eight and a half centuries. Much more, I still have to learn. Masters, still students, they are. Never stop learning, the way of the Force is."

Revan nodded, and was going to say more, but her com-link chirped.

"Revan here."

"_Revan, Master Qui-Gon requires you and Naruto to join us at the Naboo Embassy." _Obi-Wan's voice came over.

"I'll be there as soon as I find Naruto. Revan out." She slipped the com-link away. "Well, we'll have to have our discussion later."

"May the Force be with you." Yoda said, as Revan turned and hurried away, grumbling about a blond baka that had closed off their link so he could get in trouble without her knowing it.

XX

(Naboo Embassy, Queen's Apartments)

"This is a mistake, Your Highness." Revan said.

Qui-Gon nodded. "We can only protect you. We can't fight a war for you." He reminded her.

"My people are suffering." The Queen intoned.

"Be that as it may, going back like this is begging for death." Revan said. "Your planet is in the hands of the Trade Federation, you have no army, and from what I saw of the Senate meeting, none of the worlds will get involved, despite them being sympathetic about what's happened."

"And with your call of No Confidence in the Supreme Chancellor, you've handcuffed them and made it impossible for them to take action. Even if they elect a new Chancellor, he won't be able to do anything for months, even years, as he or she will need to build a power base."

Revan shook her head as she continued. "You're being foolish."

The gathered Handmaidens looked uncertain of whether or not they should speak up.

"Your majesty, this is pig-headed at best, suicidal at worst." Revan said speaking bluntly. "By doing this, you are putting yourself into the hands of the Trade Federation."

"And what would you suggest, Master Namikaze?" the Queen said in her bland tone.

The door opened, and Naruto entered with HK. "I have an idea, but we'll need to use a fast ship."

Revan had spoken to Naruto via com-link, and he had a brilliant idea. She'd helped to make alterations, and with their combined ingenuity, came up with a plan that sounded risky, but it could work.

"Where do you plan on going?" Obi-Wan asked, his curiosity burning brightly.

"Malachor." Naruto said, before his wife could answer.

"Malachor?" The Queen asked.

"To call the clans. It's time for the Mandalorians to come back to the galaxy." Revan said, her decision cemented after listening to the Queen. Naruto, as always, supported his wife.

XX

The freighter Naruto had acquired was a Corellian YT-1300 stock light freighter. Naruto smirked as Revan gave him a dirty look. "Just how many bounties have you been collecting dear?"

Naruto shrugged. "A couple." He said, going over the pre-flight checklist. A couple of the Jedi had shown him how to fly. He was secure with the base knowledge, and was going to let Revan do the actual flying.

"It was nice of the Queen to give us that R2 unit." Naruto said, as the droid was in a secure spot behind the co-pilots chair.

"Yeah, and I always liked the utility droids. They are dependable. R2, check the nav-computer and double check my coordinates." Revan said, dropping into the pilot's seat. She was wearing a Corellian flight suit and jacket instead of her robes. Naruto was wearing a pair of navy blue pants and an orange flight jacket.

"HK is secure?" she asked.

"Yeah." Naruto said.

"Ben and Qui-Gon will accompany the Queen to the rendezvous point. They won't let her land on the planet's surface until we arrive."

Revan nodded. "I just hope they accept the recall. It has been four thousand years, after all."

Naruto checked the controls. "Ready to take her up?" he asked, not concerned in the least.

"We haven't named her yet." Revan said.

Naruto scratched his chin. "I suck at naming things, so why don't you do it."

Revan smiled, and she knew he was right. If Naruto named the ship, it would be named Miso or after some other ramen dish.

"How about the Millennium Falcon?" She said, as the Force seemed to leap out at her with the name.

"Perfect." Naruto said. "Millennium after how old you are." He teased.

"And Falcon because I fly like one." She said, ignoring the barb against her age.

Naruto tapped in the comlink as his wife brought the engines online. "Coruscant Air Traffic Control, this is the Millennium Falcon from the Jedi Temple, requesting clearance to take off and head for the hyperspace lanes."

Revan ran a hand over the new controls in thought_."How__ many husbands would buy their wives a brand new ship?_She thought as she lifted off, the landing struts retracting as they were cleared for launch.

"Sub-light drive's working perfectly." Naruto intoned. "Radar shows clear lanes."

Revan relaxed as they flew into space, the first time she'd been in control since bringing Naruto from Ibonihs.

"R2, are the coordinates accurate?" she asked the astromech droid.

A series of confirming whistles brought a smile to her lips. "Punch it." She said, and Naruto reached up and pulled the throttles, the Millennium Falcon shooting into lightspeed. It's destination: The ruins of Malachor V, and hopefully to gathering an army to fight the Trade Federation.

XX

_**Location: Naboo's capital city of Theed, the Throne Room...**_

"Is the planet secure?" the holo-image of Darth Sidious queried, Viceroy Nute Gunray and Rune Haako standing in front of the Viceroy's Mechno-Chair and it's holo-emitter.

"We have taken over the last pockets of primative life-forms. We are now in complete control of the planet." replied Gunray.

"Good." Sideous said. "I will see to it that in the Senate, things stay as they are."

Folding his arms, he continued. "I am sending my apprentice, Darth Maul, to join you."

The Nemodians looked at one another. "Yes, my lord." came Gunray's reply.

The holo-image of Sidious dissipated, and the two Nemoidians shared worried looks with one another.

"This is getting out of hand. We should end this occupation once and for all." said Haako.

"It's too late now." replied Gunray. "If we back out now, I have no doubt that he will send his apprentice to kill us."

Rune groaned. "But the Jedi will kill us anyway."

Gunray shook his head. "Why did we ever make this bargain?"

XX

Revan laughed as Artoo beat her husband at holo-chess again. The holographic monster destroyed his last piece and Naruto groaned. The temporary holo-chess set had been loaded before take-off by her husband, who said Obi-Wan had tried teaching him Dejarikl.

Naruto shook his head. "I give. Wish Shika was here, he'd show you up." Revan heard the tone. She agreed. It had been hard watching all their friends age before them, while they remained unchanged. "_Shikamaru was old when we left, by the time we get back...if we get back…his grandchildren will be adults." _She thought sadly of the lazy Jonin, who had been one of her husband's best friends over the years.

The astromech's chirping laughter followed Naruto as he rose and headed for the section with the kitchen. Revan checked one of the stations. Already, her mind was marking modifications she'd make to the YT-1300.

"You said you got this new?" she asked Naruto, as he came back with a mug of caffa.

"That's what the dealer said, but Ben did some digging for me before I gave it to you. This thing's thirty years old already."

Revan smirked. "Well, the dealer did a great job restoring her to specs, but I want to modify her already."

Naruto laughed at his wife. "You know, if you scatter her all over the Temple hanger, she won't be ready when you want her to be."

"Pishaw." Revan said, taking his mug and sipping the hot liquid caffeine.

"She could use better weaponry and military-grade deflector shields. Maybe one of those quad-laser cannons." She said with hope in her eyes.

"We'll see after this mission, hime." Naruto said, knowing already that he'd do it, just for the look in her eyes. The memory of the work she'd done on the ship that brought her to him were some good ones, as she spent days tearing the freighter apart and explaining everything to him.

"So, tell me more about these Mandalorians." He said. She'd done it before, but she knew this was how her husband kept her relaxed, by putting her in instructor mode.

Revan sighed as she leaned against him while Artoo was checking the ship status.

"As you know, I went off to war when I had been Knighted. The Mandalorians are a race of warriors to the bone. They can learn other trades, but it's in their blood to fight. They have a very complex honor system, and all clans answer to the Mandalore, their greatest warrior."

She sighed. "When I left known space, I left Canderous Ordo, my shipmate during the Star Forge drama behind. He planned on gathering the clans together, and promised they would wait for my return after I gave him the past Mandalore's helmet."

She took Naruto's caffa and sipped some more. "Would you like me to make you some, love?"

Revan shook her head. "No, I'll share yours."

Naruto laughed. "So, Ordo became Mandalore?" he asked.

"From what I learned from the archives and from Jaina's holocron, he gathered the clans to help her stop a Sith Lord about five years after I left." She sighed. "I wonder if I would have made a difference."

Naruto hugged her to him. "You did what you thought was best at the time, love. It's been four thousand plus years. I think that the Republic did well without you meddling."

"I don't meddle…do I?" Revan asked, looking at him.

"Only when you think it's badly needed. I think it's one of your endearing qualities." He said, kissing her forehead.

"I hope this works." Revan said.

"It will." Naruto said.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Because you thought of it, and I have the belief that my wife is never wrong when she sets her mind to something."

Revan smiled and relaxed against him, the ships engines humming happily as they traveled hyperspace.

XX

The YT-1300 light stock freighter, the Millennium Falcon, came out of lightspeed at the edge of the Malachor system.

"You said that Jaina's holocron mentioned that she had destroyed Malachor V during her fight with your former master." Naruto asked from the co-pilots chair.

"Yeah." She looked over her shoulder. "We'll need a couple more seats here." She said aloud, and Naruto laughed, then flipped the intercom. "HK, you strapped into the turret?"

"_**Confirmation: **__**Affirmative, Master. Inserting Phrase: Cry havoc, and let's destroy some meatbags."**_

Husband and wife shared a look. "I think I'll check his processor when we're done with the Naboo problem." Revan said. "He's more bloodthirsty than ever."

Naruto nodded as he checked the scanners like Revan had taught him.

"Lots of debris." He said.

"Malachor V after all this time is still a mass grave." Revan said. "Looks like scavengers tried to pick the debris up, as well."

"What could have done all this?" Naruto asked.

"Mandalorian Raiders." Revan said."They hate people who rob the graves of their heroes. Now to send the signal. I hope they respond to it after all this time." She muttered, and entered the code she'd set up with Canderous four millennia ago.

Revan for a moment felt her stomach clench and nausea, before she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

"You okay?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. Nervous is all." She said.

Naruto checked several systems and sighed. "Now comes the hard part." At his wife's look he continued. "Waiting."

XX

(Naboo System)

"We can slip past the lone ship and-"

"Captain, we agreed to wait for Master Namikaze to bring the army. We go in ahead of time, we could jeopardize the whole thing."

"My people need to be freed." The Queen said.

Obi-Wan looked at Padme, who was looking at the queen. Qui-Gon shook his head as the pilot and the captain of the guard argued about how well they knew the planet.

"The reason the fleet is gone is because they control the planet. They only need one heavily shielded ship to control the entire army." The Jedi Master said.

"Milady, the Jedi are wise in their council." Padme said to the Queen, who gave her a flat look, then looked back at the Jedi. "Very well. Captain Olee, hide us behind one of the moons."

The ship's captain nodded and left to keep them out of sensor range of the droid control ship. "Your Majesty has shown wisdom. Waiting for Revan is the right course in this."

"Why?" Panaka asked.

"Because Revan's won wars before." Obi-Wan said from his place, his eyes leaving Padme as he spoke. "She defeated the Mandalorians, as well as a Sith Lord and his armada."

Which was true. It just took place four thousand years ago, but the woman was the same.

"Wait, the same Mandalorians she's gone to get help from?" Panaka asked with an incredulous look on his face.

Qui-Gon chuckled. "Trust in Revan." He said in advice, his voice not showing his own nervousness at what he thought was a folly.

XX

(Malachor Space)

Naruto woke to hear the sound of Revan rushing into the fresher and throwing up. He slipped from the bed and went to check on her.

"Rev?" he asked in concern through the door. She sent reassurance down the bond, along with the feeling of disgust at being sick. He heard running water, then she opened the door.

"I'm okay. I think I just have a bug." She said.

"You look pale."

"I just heaved my guts out, so I have a right to." Revan said as she leaned against the cool bulkhead.

"Sorry I woke you." She said as he pulled her to him.

"Bah, sleep is highly overrated." Naruto said, rubbing her back and feeling her relax. "Would you like me to make you some tea?" he asked.

"Please and thank you." She said. "With extra honey."

Naruto smirked at his wife's sweet tooth. "It's a good thing Jiraiya taught us how to seal things with preservation seals." He said as he headed for the kitchenette, while Revan sat at station and checked the ships status.

A whistle from Artoo greeted her arrival. "No, everything is fine. You can go back to recharging if you wish."

A series of beeps and whistles answered.

She looked at the screen when one of the lights flickered.

Standing she hurried to the cockpit.

"Naruto, get up here. Forget the tea." She said loudly, ignoring the intercom. She dropped into the pilot's seat and brought the Falcon out of standby.

Naruto was next to her in his sleeping pants, and landed in the co-pilot seat. "What?"

"Ship inbound. It just tagged us with radar."

Revan brought the Falcon around and she saw the ship. "Talk about patchwork."

"Big ship, though." Naruto said, looking at the old _Hammerhead_-style Republic Cruiser.

"Mandalorians throw nothing away if it still works. I'd say she's about five hundred years old from the markings, but with the patchwork…" she shook her head.

"We're being hailed." Naruto said as a light pinged.

"Open the channel."

Revan sighed and spoke the code phrase. "Aliit ori'shua taldin."

Naruto looked at her. "'Family is more than blood.' It's a proverb." She said.

Naruto shook his head. "Sounded rough on the throat."

"You think Mando'a is bad, try speaking Wookie."

"Ke'pare!" came the response in Mando'a.

"Su'cuy, Revan?" the other side came back a moment later.

"What was it they said?" Naruto asked.

"Ke'pare which means 'Standby', and the last bit translates into 'Still alive, Revan?" She said with a grin. "Looks like I'm going to be teaching you Mando'a as well as Huttese and other languages."

Naruto sighed. "There goes my free time."

This time a voice came back over the channel in Galactic Basic. "Permission to land granted."

Revan sighed. "Now comes the fun part." She said, maneuvering the Falcon towards the belly hanger of the cruiser.

"Oh?" Naruto looked at her.

"Meeting the family."

XX

_**Mandalore Dawn, Main Hanger...**_

Revan, in her Jedi robes, walked down the boarding ramp Naruto at her side.

He squeezed her hand. "You okay?"

Just after landing in the hanger, Revan got sick once more, making it to the fresher just in time.

"Yes. Stop being a mother hen." She scolded.

Lined up were several Mandalorians in their symbolic armor. Three approached, the one in the middle she picked as the Mandalore.

"I am Revan." She said.

The helmet-covered head bowed. "Jaster Mareel, Mandalore." He replied.

He gestured to his right. "My second, Montross." The helmet head twitched slightly. And Jaster shrugged to his left. "My son, Jango Fett."

Revan gave a bow.

"I was surprised when an old code phrase was activated." Jaster said. "Perhaps you can explain how you know it, and why it was honored, by every Mandalore since Canderous Ordo, to answer the call when it came."

"As I said, I am Revan, and I am calling the clans to honor their vow to me." She said.

"Yeah, right." Montross scoffed. "Everyone knows Revan died four thousand years ago."

"Quiet." Jaster said. "There is much that we need to know."

Revan nodded. "Than you shall." She gestured over her shoulder. "My husband, Naruto, will join us. He knows it all, and I have no secrets from him."

"Just everyone else." Jaster said, and Revan, observing the body language, laughed. "I like you, Jaster. You remind me of Canderous. Let us speak, but it must be fast. My need for the Mandalorians is great, and time is short."

Jango muttered something, and Jaster shook his head. Revan caught it, and answered. "We are speaking Basic, as my husband has yet to learn Mando'a. Something I plan on fixing with his language courses."

"You let a woman speak for you, Human?" Montross insulted, but Naruto snorted. "She's kicked my ass before. And from what I know, she's kicked Mandalore's ass, as well as several Dark Lords of the Sith. Strong women are respected."

He looked at Jaster. "I take it he hasn't found a woman yet." he deadpanned.

Around the hanger, several chuckles could be heard, and Montross took a step forward, his gauntlet-covered fist shooting out to strike Naruto. Moving his head slightly, he lets the fist pass his head before grabbing the arm, pulling the Mandalorian off his feet and flinging him across the hangar, Montross impacting the far wall and slumping down.

"And that's me not even trying. The only one who gets to hit me is my wife." Naruto said, looking around.

Jaster laughed. "I think I like you already, Naruto. Come, we'll talk. Jango, have the bridge set course for…" he looks at Revan.

"Naboo. I need your warriors to fight a particularly large droid army."

"Set course for Naboo. And someone get Montross to the medbay." He says, shaking his head. "He would make a fine leader, but he can't control himself or his temper." Jaster said.

As they walked, Revan looked at him. "You believe me?"

"Of course. No one would dare impersonate Revan, nor would they have the correct codes to do so."

Naruto walked next to the silver and blue armored Jango. "So, is it hot in that tin can?"

"K'uur Di'kut!" Jango said, inclining his head and increasing his pace.

Naruto shook his head. "Why do I think I just heard the Mandalorian word for 'dobe;?" he muttered.

Revan's chuckle told him he was right.

_"Damnit. A Mandalorian Sasuke."_ He sighed, hoping these negotiations went better than the last ones. He didn't feel like fighting his way off another large starship.

XX

"_Space...the Final Frontier…" _Naruto thought with a snicker.

He had spent the voyage learning about the Mandalorians. Jango was always around, and the more he was, the more Naruto swore the warrior was this galaxy's version of a certain Uchiha.

"Rev."

"What?" his wife asked as she was working on a weapons upgrade for the Falcon. Jaster had been nice enough to give her several parts, and a number of the Mandalorian's were eager to help the legend they grew up hearing about.

"He's watching again." Naruto said.

Revan looked over her shoulder and smirked, seeing Jango pretending to be inconspicuous, but failing spectacularly.

"Either he's infatuated with me, or he's in love with you." She teased.

"Please. One Sasuke was enough for me." Naruto said.

"Then fight him."

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Mandalorians settle everything with battle. Either he hates you for some reason, or he thinks I would be a good mate and elevate his position." Revan said.

"He is Sasuke." Naruto whined.

Revan looked up. "Here he comes." She said.

Jango stopped at the base of the Falcon beneath them. "Namikaze." He said.

Naruto put on a smile for the obstinate man. "Hey Jango, want to help install the new quad-laser batteries and sensor packages?" he asked, looking at the pair of Mandalorians hefting the circular dish into place while inside the ship another pair was dealing with the wiring.

"No. I wish to speak with Revan."

Naruto groaned, and saw the look in Revan's eyes.

"Finish this, and have HK check the connections." She ordered, and leapt down ignoring the ladder.

"Well? Speak, young Fett." She said.

"You're a strong woman. One that could bring the Mandalorian people back to the height of glory they held before you crushed them."

Revan outright laughed. "And let me guess, that would be mating with you?"

Jango nodded. "You need someone who can provide strong children, and that fool is not worthy of you."

"I see." Revan replied, her voice becoming like carbonite. "(Naruto, beloved.)" she called in Japanese. "(It seems the young one wishes to challenge you for my hand.)"

Naruto sighed and leapt from the top of the Falcon, landing next to his wife. As he straightened, he shunshin'd and backhanded Jango, sending him skidding across the deck, his armor causing sparks from the force of the blow.

"You little shit." Naruto growled stalking towards Jango as the other Mandalorians, who had been about to help their comrade, froze at a signal from Jaster, who was watching it all from across the bay with a crew working on several of the starfighters.

Jango drew a blaster, but Naruto kicked it out of his hand. "Oh no, oh hell no. You want to make a pass at my wife? You are going to fight me without weapons, gaki."

A clearing of the throat, and Naruto looked over at his wife. She looked at Jaster. "Tell me Mandalore, do you still use the dueling circle?"

He nodded. "We do."

Naruto nodded after a brief mental exchange.

"Jango Fett, adopted son of Mandalore Jaster Mereel, I, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, former Kage of Konohagakure, Jedi colleague and husband to Jedi Master Revan Namikaze, the one who defeated the Mandalorians at Malachor V and scattered your people." He lifted Jango up via his armor, and glared at him. "You dare try and make advances on my wife…my lifemate. I challenge you to combat inside the duel ring."

He shoved Jango back. The young man said nothing. "You will answer him Jango." Jaster said, when it seemed Jango wasn't going to answer.

"He is nothing, and doesn't deserve-"

Jaster's unseen fist sent him reeling, not as far as Naruto's but Jango still met the deck as second time, nonetheless.

"Honor demands as much. You propositioned another man's wife. The very woman who crushed our people four thousand years ago. If she has chosen someone to be her lifemate, then that man is her equal, if not more so."

Jango stood, his eyes glaring at Naruto.

"Very well." Jango said. "No holding back."

Naruto nodded.

"To the death." Jango continued, and Revan laughed.

Naruto shook his head. "Till knockout or submission. I will not hurt my wife's ties with the Mandalorian people over the needless death of the Mandalor's son."

"You best kill me, for I will kill you." Jango said.

Naruto shook his head at the stubbornness of the dark haired young man.

Several Mandalorians cleared a space on the flight deck, and a circle was created using fuel lines and cables.

"All weapons and your 'Jedi tricks' will be allowed." Jango said.

Naruto shrugged. Revan spoke up then. "Only one lightsaber dear." She said and he nodded at that, making many wonder what she meant by that.

"Very well." Jaster said. He could tell already his adopted son was over his head. He knew any man that could mate with THE Revan had to be strong, not only in mind and body, but as well in spirit.

Naruto stepped into the duel circle, his hands empty.

Jango stepped in as well, wearing his armor, blasters, and a pair of vibroswords across his back.

"Prepare to lose." Jango said, putting on his helmet.

"Fight!" Jaster said, and stepped out of the circle.

Revan watched from her position next to the leader. "I am sorry, Mandalore, but your boy has been staring, glaring, and hinting for the last several days, and it's become more than Naruto can take."

Jaster nodded. "I am sorry, Lady Revan. Jango has always been headstrong, and he thinks he's above everyone else."

They watched as Jango drew his blasters and opened fire. The _SNAP-HISS _of Naruto's lightsaber coming to life echoed throughout the hangar as he blocked the oncoming blaster fire, redirecting them and forcing Jango to avoid his own blaster bolts.

Naruto didn't move, but stood in a relaxed stance, his greenish-white lightsaber aimed at the floor.

"Please tell me that's not the best you've got?" Naruto asked.

Jango snarled and leapt into the air, his jetpack activating as he rained blaster fire down on the blond before him.

Again, Naruto used his lightsaer to block the shots. Jango snarled and pulled a frag grenade, pulling the pin with his teeth and tossing it at the blond.

Naruto, using a bit of his Futon ability, caught it and surrounded it, containing the blast in a twelve-inch diameter of air.

Naruto deactivated his lightsaber and leapt into the air, getting up to Jango's level, sending the young Mandalorian warrior back to the deck with a spinning axe kick. The impact dented his rocket pack and he hit the emergency release, dropping it to the deck.

Jango fired several shots more shots, but Naruto used a shushin. Appearing behind Jango, he gripped one of his arms, his fingers causing dents in the forearm guards Jango wore. Beneath the helmet he wore, Jango's eyes widened, before a fist connected with his visor, shattering it and caving in his helmet, sending him skidding across the deck.

Getting to his knees, the Mandalorian blinked when he saw Naruto appear in front of him again, only to groan in agony when a backflip rocket heel jerked his head upwards, before a roundhouse kick to his helmeted head sent him flying across the deck again.

Jango landed in a heap, his helmet all but destroyed by the force of the last two blows. Tearing it off and hurling it aside, Jango struggled to his feet, glaring murderous intent at the blonde.

"Give up Jango. Don't make me destroy you." Naruto said.

Jango clenched his wrist, curling his fist inward and pointing it at the blonde's legs. The cable shot out, and wrapped around Naruto's ankles and lower legs, snapping them together.

Jango gave a hard tug, and smirked as the blond hit the deck. He aimed his other arm at the blonde, and a small tube poked out from his armguard, the tube spewing flames that engulfed the blonde.

His screams echoed throughout the chamber, some of the Mandalorians turning away at the gruesome sight. No matter how battle-hardened you may be, seeing someone burn alive is one of the worst experiences you can ever have, and the images would haunt your dreams for the rest of your life.

Naruto's screams, however, were cut short, as a puff of smoke interrupted him, showing he was merely a clone once the cloud dispersed.

Jango looked around, not sure where the Ninja would appear next. He got his answer when he turned and received a boot to the face, followed by a fist to the jaw, and a kick to the side of his kneecap, disrupting his balance before he was elbowed in the stomach, causing him to sprawl to the deck once more.

Jango coughed up blood and stood shakily. "Damnable Jedi tricks!"

Naruto laughed. "Not a single technique I've used has anything to do with the Jedi or the Force, except for the lightsaber, and that still doesn't count as a 'trick'."

"LIAR!" Jango yelled, drawing the short vibro-swords.

He attacked, holding his left blade close to him as his right performed the attacks, watching as Naruto dodged left and right, ducking, weaving, and evading his slashes.

Spinning into Jango's guard, his fist was blocked by the broad side of Jango's blade, the Mandalorian smirking before Naruto's second fist clocked him in the head, dazing him long enough for Naruto to grip his arm and hurl him to the deck below, the resounding crash of metal and flesh echoing once more.

On the sidelines, Jaster looked at Revan. "He's playing with him."

Revan nodded. "He could have crushed Jango in one move, but he's holding back…a lot."

Jaster sighed as his adopted son went berserk trying to hit the blond who would block with those strange knives, or duck and avoid his attacks. "Such a warrior…"

Revan smiled. "I watched him grow into his potential and power. Let me tell you one thing Mandalore: His people would have been a welcome addition to the clans. They have an honor system as integrated as yours. And their skill...some of the things they can do make what Jedi and Sith do with the Force look like mere parlor tricks."

Mandalore Jaster Mereel looked at her. "And you haven't gone back to them…" he asked leaving it unfinished.

"They are far away, much further than the Unknown Regions, and they aren't even that technologically advanced." she smiled, watching as her husband gripped the Mandalorian again, twisting his wrists and disarming Jango before a leg sweep put the young Mandalorian on his back yet again, Naruto's foot pressed against his windpipe.

"He shouldn't feel bad. Naruto's got decades on him."

Back in the circle, Naruto looked at the man under his foot.

"Give up, Jango. You have the potential to be great, one of the best. Don't make me end it here."

Jango said nothing, merely glaring up at the blonde.

Naruto sighed. "The hard way, then." He said, and kneeling on Jango's neck, he hit a strike to a pressure point, the Mandalorian's eyes widening before closing as he his body slumped into unconsciousness.

Standing, he looked at his wife, who glared at him. "I know where you learned that from."

The blond grinned, and scratched the back of his head. "But love, she was before you and-"

Revan turned and marched back to the Falcon. Naruto looked at Jaster. "He'll wake up tomorrow with a hell of a headache, but he'll live. I'll spare his life, as I admit my wife is damn hot and irresistible." He sighed as he watched her enter the ship. "And damn moody."

Jaster laughed. "It is the way of all women to drive their mates insane."

Naruto looked at Jango as he was carried away by a couple of others. "I hope this doesn't-"

"It is fine. We fight each other over spilt ale. A fight over one's lifemate, however, is something I am amazed you'd spared him for."

Naruto shrugged. "If I killed everyone that thinks my wife is hot, there wouldn't be a lot of men in the galaxy." He looked at the Falcon. "I need to check on her."

Jaster watched him go ,and had to admit, he was a warrior that would more than likely have a song in the Mandalorian chronicles someday.

"All right, you dogs. Back to work. We're nearly to Naboo, and anyone without a ship will be on the ground."

Some curses and laughter were heard, and Jaster knew that by throwing his hat in with Revan, it would bring the Mandalorians back into the arena that they knew best.

Besides, they may just regain some honor and glory along the way.

_**Another chapter, done it is. Happy with myself, I am.**_

_**But I digress. Some people were concerned about the lemon from the last chapter, saying that Revan was, "too slutty". Let me tell you this, then: If a woman has an active libido, she can, and sometimes will, surpass the males in their desire for sex. Whether that is a built-in genetic thing, or women being women, I have no idea. To be honest, I don't even think women understand themselves, seeing as they are so complicated. I find it humorous and annoying at the same time.**_

_**Still, if you don't like the way the story is progressing, I would simply advise you to stop reading, as that is the best advice I can offer you. No one is making you do it, so if you don't like, you don't have to read. Simple as that. Suggestions and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism are welcome. Destructive criticism and derogatory comments will get you ignored and/or reported, seeing as I am a man of few pleasures, and I don't tolerate shit like most people do.**_

_**For those of you that are enjoying the story, I am glad to hear it, and I will continue to update/post as much as possible.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: The Battle Of Naboo**

"Look at the size of that ship." Obi-Wan said, as the Queen's Cruiser was given clearance to land in the docking bay of the _Hammerhead_-class ex-Republic cruiser, the _Mandalorian Dawn_.

"That is a VERY old ship." The pilot commented. "_Hammerhead_-class cruisers haven't been used by the Republic for hundreds of years. I'm surprised that this hunk of junk still flies."

"Yes, but Revan has help for us. It's better than nothing, and simply handing the Queen over without a fight." Qui-Gon Jinn said as he looked at the ship they were docking in.

Once the boarding ramp was lowered, they were greeted by the Namikazes and a man in full Mandalorian armor.

"Your Majesty, allow me to introduce you to Mandalore, the leader of his people, who have agreed to fight this battle. Mandalore, may I present Her Royal Highness, the Queen of the Naboo."

Both leaders gave nods of their heads to one another. Revan grinned at Qui-Gon. "So, what have you done?" she asked and the other Jedi Master gave her a look.

"Sorry." She said with a grin, which faded. "Excuse me." She said, and hurried off. Naruto shook his head. "She says she never gets sick, but the last couple of days…" he shook his head. "Staying out of trouble Ben?" he asked his friend.

"I'm not you." Obi-Wan returned with a smile.

"Yeah, but does the handmaiden know that you're a goody-goody?"

Obi-Wan blushed, and looked at the group of handmaidens that had their hoods up and were arrayed around the queen.

"Stop it." Obi-Wan hissed.

"Jedi does not mean celibate, young Padawan." Naruto said with a grin, getting a blush from his friend.

"We're heading to the War Room." Mandalore said to Naruto, who nodded. "I'll check on Revan and meet you there."

Naruto left the group in the care of the Mandalore and headed to the Falcon, and he found his wife once more exiting the fresher.

"Throwing up again?" he asked, and she nodded weakly. "I don't get it. I've never been sick like his before. I mean yeah, I've had the twenty-four hour bug, but nothing that has lasted this long." Revan said, accepting the towel and wiping her face off after splashing it with water.

"Maybe we should have the Mandalorian's doctor check you over." Naruto said in concern.

"I'm fine. We've got a battle to win, and a planet to liberate. Where is everyone?" Revan said as they left the Falcon.

"War Room. Mandalore wants the Queen's opinion on where he should set his forces down."

Revan nodded as they walked. "Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan will need to stay with the Queen."

"I should be there." Naruto said.

"You've had a vision?" she asked.

Before he could respond, they entered the War Room, and listened as Mandalore suggested dropping his troops on the fields outside the capital city of Theed, seeing as the Queen wanted to avoid as much damage to the city as possible.

"Meanwhile, my fighters and this ship will engage the droid control ship."

The Queen thought about it, and Revan saw Padme nod to the Queen.

"Very well. We'll send our own pilots out to assist you and the _Dawn_ once they are freed." The Queen, said in her expressionless manner.

"We shall stay with Her Majesty." Qui-Gon said.

Revan looked at Naruto. "Naruto will go with them as an added bodyguard. I shall be with the ground troops on the fields."

Mandalore's helmeted head swung towards her. "You want to lead them?"

Revan nodded.

"Very well. I shall command our fighters from the _Dawn,_ and give those tin-cans a beating with our vessel."

Mandalore looked at the assembled commanders. "Jango shall lead our fighter squadron. Montross, you shall be Revan's number two."

The rust-red armored warrior nodded.

Naruto scratched his head, his 'thinking face' firmly in place. "I'll meet you all on the surface."

"Why, dear?" Revan asked.

"I might have an idea, I need to see if I can find him."

Revan looked at her husband. "Find who?"

"Bob."

Revan looked at her husband, shaking her head. "You and your ideas. I'm going to regret this, but take HK with you. And be careful."

Naruto smiled, and gave her a quick kiss. "Hey, its me."

"That's what we're afraid of." Obi-Wan's mutter was heard, and chuckles erupted from around the room.

"May the Force be with us." Revan muttered as she watched her husband go. Her gut clenched, and it wasn't from nausea.

XX

_**The planet's surface, the swamplands on the outskirts of Theed...**_

Naruto didn't have a hard time finding Bob, the droid slumped against the same tree that he'd last left him on. The problem was getting rid of the small creatures that had taken up residence on the modified battle droid.

"Shoo...go on, get! I need this guy to save the planet!" Naruto said, waving his hands and causing the tiny animals to scatter, leaving one curious youngster sitting on the shoulder, his head cocked to the side in curiosity.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're cute. This droid is important, though, so I'm going to need him." Naruto said, picking the little guy up and setting him on the ground, watching him scurry away.

"Offended-Sounded Inquiry: Master, what do we need this inferior bucket of bolts for?" HK demanded, seeing what Naruto was looking for.

"Tsk, tsk, HK...Bob here is the key to getting into the palace and capturing the Viceroy." He said, patting the skinny droid before proceeding to rewire the droid.

"Firm Statement: Nothing beats a tri-barrel assault rifle with a grenade launcher, flamethrower and a high-powered targeting scope." HK muttered, and Naruto swore the droid was jealous.

"The sooner I finish this, the quicker we can join the others. While I get to the palace, I want you to find Revan, who will be locate on the Grassy Plains, and make sure she gets through the battle unharmed. In other words, seek and destroy all Trade Federation weaponry you come across, including droids, tanks, and transports."

Naruto bet that if his metal face had been able, HK would be grinning something that would put a Lee and Gai toothy grin to shame. "Joyous Statement: READY, MASTER!"

XX

_**Theed Palace...**_

"Where is Naruto?" Obi-Wan muttered. "The Mandalorians will be commencing their assault soon."

The squad of armored warriors with the group were checking their weapons a final time.

"Relax. Naruto will join us in time." Qui-Gon said, his eyes were half closed. "In fact…he's here."

Obi-Wan, who was next to Padme, looked up to see Naruto leaping from a rooftop, landing next to them with a battle droid on his back.

He landed next to a Mandalorian and grinned. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was simply terrible."

"Where's your other droid?" Captain Panaka asked.

"Making his way to Revan as we speak. This is Bob." He said to the others indicating the deactivated droid.

"And what can he do?"

Naruto smirked as he looked at R2. "While I'm sure R2 can crack any code, what better distraction than to send in one of their own?"

He activated the droid and sent it on its way.

"It'll be in position to get you into the Throne Room." He said as they watched it march off.

"While we free the pilots and get them to the fighters."

Naruto pulled out his lightsaber. "Ready?"

Obi-wan and Qui-Gon nodded, pulling theirs. The Mandalorians confirmed they were ready, and the Queen, her handmaidens and guards nodded as well.

"Do it." Naruto said, and a pair of Mandalorian shock troops with shoulder launchers fired a pair of anti-tank rockets into the square, the tanks and destroyer droids caught in the explosion never knowing what hit them.

"GO!" Naruto said as he formed a familiar cross seal, multiple Kage Bunshin appearing around the square, each with a lightsaber in their hand, as well.

All around the square, droids that had come into the plaza to see what the explosion was about were cut down, sparks flying as the clones proceeded to slice and dice the hapless droids. Several got off some lucky shots, and clones fell in puffs of smoke.

Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and the Mandalorians followed, the soldiers trading fire with the battle droids as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan managed to hurl their lightsabers at several Droidekas, the whirling energy blades embedding themselves into the chassis of the droids before they could activate their shields.

Meanwhile, Naruto was dashing around the battlefield, avoiding the tank rounds coming from the last two remaining AAT's. Throwing his lightsaber, the blade cleaved off the nozzle of the turret on top, the next shell inside detonating prematurely, the explosion cascading through the whole tank before the entire thing blew apart, charred parts of droid and tank skittering across the ground.

Materializing a second blade from his wrist seals, Naruto called the first back to him, his green and orange lightsabers whirling as he deflected more tank fire, the hovercraft slowly backing away from the approaching blonde as it continued to pelt him with more artillery fire.

Deflecting an anti-tank shell, he reflected it back towards the tank, the shell exploding and shearing off the rotating turret from the tank. The command droid inside seemed to blink, his next order dying on his voice emitter as he looked down, an orange blade embedded in his chest.

Leaping onto the destroyed tank, Naruto cleaved the head off the pilot, the remaining repulsorlift of the tank grinding to a halt. Before the two remaining droids in the gunner's seats raised their blasters. The first one found a green blade slicing off his arm before it bisected him.

The second droid, taking aim at the blonde, was briefly surprised when Naruto's orange saber came from behind and impaled his neural processors, his photo receptors briefly registering the energy blade between its' eyes before it shorted out, slumping in its' seat as the blade was ripped from his head.

Between laser fire and lightsabers, the droids were destroyed in a short amount of time and the party headed for the main hanger.

One of the Mando troopers peered around the corner, the entrance to the hangar providing adequate cover as he scanned the area.

"Normal tin cans, sir." he shot back to Naruto.

"Let's go." he replied.

XX

_**The Grassy Plains, located outside of Theed...**_

Revan looked at Montross. "Well, they took the bait." She said, as the droid troop carriers appeared over the ridge, multiple tanks flanking them.

"Lots of scrap metal." The bigger man said.

Revan thumbed the comlink. "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war."

Montross looked over his shoulder.

"Hukaatir!" he called, and the gathered warriors armed their personal shields. The shield generator they'd brought with them were activated, surrounding them in a dome of protective energy, and Revan smiled even as the droids were being unloaded from the MTT's, their ranks quickly swelling.

"Darasuum Parjir! (Forever Be Victorious!)" she cried out.

Montross nodded. "To you as well, Revan."

"Let us show these clankers what the Mandalorian clans are made of!" Revan called out.

Behind the shield, the army watched as the tanks open fire, raining anti-personnel artillery down on the Mandalorians, only for their rounds to be deflected and absorbed by the generator.

Revan didn't have to tell the warriors around her to be steady. They were the greatest fighting force ever assembled, and she knew that every warrior with her was worth at least a hundred battle droids.

Her comlink chirped.

"Busy." She quipped.

"Statement: Mistress, I am approaching your position from your six." HK's voice came over the comlink.

"Why aren't you with Naruto?" she asked.

"Reasoning: Master said I would be better served with you."

Revan grumbled, and passed the word for the troops in the rear to allow HK thru.

Montross chuckled, and she heard his muttered "mother hen" comment about her husband.

"I've fought battles and wars long before he was born. I can care for myself." Revan muttered, her eyes studying the droids as they tried a mass bombardment to break the shields, with no effect.

She watched the battle droids line up. and saw they were going to walk in.

"Here they come."

"_Be safe, my love." _she sent along the bond. She got a feeling of love back.

XX

_**In orbit above Naboo...**_

Receiving the code phrase from Revan, Jaster smirked. "All fighters launch. Gunners, lock on to that ship. Prepare for a broadside."

Jaster wanted to be in the cockpit or on the ground, but he knew his place was needed here.

As the Z-95 _Headhunters_ launched from the hangar, he silently wished his son to be safe.

"Good hunting." He said aloud.

"All fighters are launched." The weapons officer said.

"Raise the shields. All hands…battle-stations." Jaster said, putting on his helmet. "Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur!" Mandalore said, and it was echoed across the bridge.

The sentiment was: "Today is a good day for some other bugger to die!"

_**Outside the **_**Mandalorian Dawn****_..._**

Jango looked over his control panel, analyzing his scopes as the small fleet flew towards the control ship. "All wings report in."

"Red Leader, standing by."

"Green Leader, standing by."

"Gold Leader, standing by."

"Blue Leader, standing by."

As the role call came in, he nodded. "Activate deflector shields."

He studied the information and if things went right then soon Naboo star fighters would join them in the assault of the droid control ship.

"_They better get here, or this will be the shortest offensive ever." _Jango thought as the Mandalorians slowed to a crawl, waiting for the Naboo pilots and their N-1 Starfighters to light the fuse.

XX

_**Theed, Throne Room...**_

Sitting on his Mechno-chair, Nute Gunray, with his advisor, Rune Haako, and Darth Maul, looked once again upon the holo-image of Darth Sidious.

"We've sent out patrols, and we've already located their starship in the swamps. It won't be long, my lord." said Gunray.

"...This is an _unexpected_ move for her." Sidious pondered. "It's too aggressive."

Turning his head, he regarded his apprentice. "Lord Maul, be mindful. Let them make the first move."

Maul nodded. "Yes, my Master."

XX

_**Grassy Plains, Near Theed...**_

Revan frowned as the first droid stumbled its' way though the shield. She looked at Montross. "Note to Self: Next time, add an ion charge to the shield."

Montross nodded.

"Inquiry: Now, Mistress?" HK asked for confirmation.

"Wait for it." Revan said, her hands on her lightsaber hilts.

"Here comes the pain." She said as the first row of battle droids were now past the shield and were opening fire.

"Alright, boys, LIGHT 'EM UP! TRACYN!" Revan ordered, and the Mandalorians opened fire as the battle droids kept coming. For every battle droid that fell, two to three more would take its' place.

With their shields in place, the Mandalorians were content to sit back and blast the hell out of the approaching clankers, both sides trading blaster fire with only the droids taking casualties...for now.

The droids, seeing their sheer numbers were not going to be enough, began marching forward faster, Revan smiling as the droids came closer. She saw HK in the thick of it, his assault rifle swinging back and forth as it spewed forth bolt after blaster bolt, droids falling left and right.

Jerking his arm out, HK launched a massive volley of shuriken, the high velocity at which they were fired causing them to embed themselves in the droids they hit, some severing head from bodies as others were slammed into chest cavities, arms, legs, heads, and blaster rifles.

"Enthralled and Ecstatic Statement: THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF THIS UNIT'S LIFE CYCLE!"

"_Really need to check his processor." _She thought deflecting several shots. Flinging one of her sabers at the mass of metal, she used the other to decapitate a droid behind her, thrusting her blade through its' torso to stab another droid directly behind it, impaling both droids on the red blade as her purple one returned to her hand.

Grinning, she made sure that both droid's metal chassis were fused together using her saber. Slapping a thermal detonator on the dead droids, she then levitated and threw them at the droid army, the ticking time bomb landing amongst the battle droid group before detonating, showering the field with pieces of scrap as the concussion tore through their ranks. Still, the vast droid army moved forward, not even HK-47's continuous blaster fire able to thin their ranks.

Her attention was drawn to the mobile shield generator, and she saw the target of the attack.

"MONTROSS! PROTECT THE SHIELD GENERATOR AT ALL COSTS!" she yelled as she carved her way towards the generator's location, several unfortunate battle droids sheared off at the knees before being decapitated. "IF THEY GET TO THAT GENERATOR, WE'RE FINISHED!"

Revan knew that once the shield went down, then the tanks on the ridge by the transports would once again open fire, and she knew that even though their troops were amongst the enemy, the battle droids would not hesitate to bombard the entire plain, killing Mandalorian and droid alike. Their casualties would be staggering, seeing as they only had a couple of anti-tank launchers to combat the AAT's, and that wouldn't be enough.

Her lightsabers flew around her, battle droids coming apart at the seams as she wove a pattern of destruction though the fields, deflecting a shot aimed at the back of her head to its' owner, the blaster bolt shearing the head clean off as the body clanked to the grass.

Reaching the generator, she was just in time to deflect several bolts aimed at the coolant emitters, deflecting them back at their owners as she bisected a droid that got too close for her liking, the droid whimpering before falling to the ground.

Around her, Mandalorians who had expired their blaster cartridges were drawing vibro-swords and blaster pistols, some even taking out vibro-staffs as they engaged the droids in hand-to-hand combat, their years of combat experience pulling them though once again as they tore through the droid ranks, many taking down 30 battle droids or more before finally succumbing to the onslaught of machinery, their limp bodies falling to join the droids in death.

Cringing at the carnage around her, Revan watched as one Mandalorian youth charged headlong into a large formation of battle droids, a thermal detonator in each hand. The droids easily spotted him, turning to engage as he drew closer, their carbines flashing as he was filled full of blaster bolts.

The determined youth staggered forward, collapsing amongst the droid group. As the droids cocked their blasters, taking aim once again, the unnamed Mandalorian, sporting a bloody grin through the destroyed faceplate of his helmet, released the buttons on the detonators, dropping them next to his broken body as he tore away his chestplate, seven more detonators already primed.

"I'm about to die." the youth spat out heatedly, his life-giving fluids dripping to the grass around him, staining the perfect green with an unsightly red. "But I swear, by the blood of Mandalore, I'm going to take as many of you clankers as I can WITH ME!

Seconds later, the middle of the droid army exploded outward, parts, pieces, and even entire droids sent flying as the shockwave rippled through their ranks, droids torn apart at the ferocity of the explosion as Revan's eyes widened, before clouding with tears at the loss of another soldier in her command.

Wiping them back viciously, she roared and proceeded to tear yet another hole through the endless swarm of droids, her lightsabers barely seen as they seared through one chassis after another, one barely getting a glimpse of the purple and red blades emerging from a droid, only to see those same blades re-enter another droid seconds later.

Cursing with every spiteful word she could think of, Revan tore a path of destruction through the droid army, tears falling down her cheeks as she silently grieved for her fallen comrades. _"I hope Naruto is having better luck than I am. Kami, I hope he comes back. If he doesn't..."_

XX

_**Theed, Palace Hallways...**_

Still conversing with the Dark Lord, Gunray and Haako were following his Mechno-chair, the image of Sidious wavering in front of them.

"She is more foolish than I thought." commented Sidious.

"We've sent all available troops to meet this army assembled in the swamp." replied Gunray. "It appears to be made up of several platoons of armored soldiers."

Sidious looked to the side, contemplating to himself. "Hmmm...this will work to our advantage."

Gunray looked at Sidious. "I have your approval, then, my lord?"

Sidious turned back to Gunray. "...Wipe them out...ALL of them."

XX

_**Theed, Palace Hangar...**_

Naruto swore as he looked around the hangar, seeing at least the same amount of droids in the hangar since their last go around.

"_You'd think they'd be locked up in a detention center, or even a cellblock, not left in a hangar to sit around a campfire and tell ghost stories." _He shook his head as the droids had the pilots and deck crews clustered in a corner of the hanger.

"_Well, I'm guessing the electrical fence is supposed to be some sort of barrier to keep unwanted guests out. Too bad for them I don't need to have physical contact with my enemies."_

Naruto went through several hand seals, his surprise attack wiping out the nine battle droids that were guarding the prisoners.

"How do you do that?" Obi-wan asked, as the air seemed to suddenly turn on the droids, slicing them into scrap metal without so much as a word spoken or a blaster fired.

"It's my element. Many ninja can manipulate elements, and some master a specific one. Wind is mine." Naruto said, already in motion with his lightsaber as several more droids came around the corner, inspecting the source of the disturbance only to have their heads removed as Naruto threw his blade, the three droids turning just in time to meet the spinning green blade head-on.

With a wave of his hand, Qui-Gon deactivated the electrical barrier surrounding the prisoners, their cuffs falling to the floor around them as they stood and wrung their wrists.

"Get to your fighters, and join up with the Mandalorians in orbit to take out the control ship!" the Padawan ordered, and Naruto rejoined the others as the pilots began making their way to their ships.

"Hope their as good as you say Your Highness." Naruto said, as the pilots began to fly their ships out of the hangar.

The AAT stationed near the hangar began to open fire, missing many of the more experienced pilots, but managing to catch one of the slower ones, igniting his fuselage and sending him spinning to the forest below.

The Queen said nothing, but Padme answered. "They are some of the best pilots out amongst the Outer Rim.

Padme turned to Panaka. "My guess is the Viceroy is in the Throne Room."

Panaka nodded. "Red Group, Blue Group. Everybody, this way."

Naruto nodded as they approached the massive doors that would lead them into the upper levels of the palace.

Just as they were about to reach them, the doors began to cycle open.

Naruto stopped, and held a hand up for the others to do the same.

The doors finished opening, revealing a lone figure staring at the floor, with a double-bladed lightsaber in his grip. Looking up, he glared at the party, before his eyes hardened even further upon seeing Naruto.

"_Revan called him a Zabrak. Well, looks like our Sith here is looking for Round 2."_

Naruto looked at Qui-Gon, his blue eyes asking the unspoken question. Before they could move, another figure rounded the corner, coming to stand next to Maul.

"Boy."

Naruto sighed, palming his face before looking upon the pale complexion of Aurra Sing, the bounty hunter that had escaped him on Tatooine.

"Aurra Sing. Twice in a lifetime, I suppose." Naruto said with a chuckle. He shot a look at Qui-Gon. "You two take the Zabrak. I'll deal with the bounty hunter, and join you shortly."

The Jedi Master nodded, and Padme looked at the Queen. "We'll take the long way."

The Queen and soldiers took off for the right, leaving the five to face off.

"Whatever he's paying you, it's not enough." Naruto said shrugging his robes off, as did the Sith and the two Jedi. The Zabrak took up a stance with the hilt of his lightsaber presented before him and activated it, two blood-red blades springing forth from the hilt.

He seemed disappointed that the Jedi weren't shocked or impressed, but remained quiet.

Aurra shook her head. "Its not about the money. It's that you got in my way. Doesn't matter. Maul here offered me a moon, but I told him I would do this for free."

She smirked. "I will take all my anger out on you, and your droid isn't here to save you this time."

"I didn't need him last time. You're such a lousy shot that-"

Aurra's quickdraw was deflected by Naruto's saber, the green blade humming as it sprang to life and deflected the shot.

"Tsk, tsk, Aurra. That wasn't playing fair, and I know you know how to do that. I wanted to make this a fun fight, but you had to go and ruin it with your dirty tricks."

"Pfft, as if a Jedi knows anything about fighting fair. Despite your insurgence last time, I will take my sweet, sweet time drinking in your fear, enjoying it, _savoring_ the taste of your despair as I rip your soul from your body!"

Both Jedi and Sith stood there, watching the bounty hunter and ninja argue.

"Really? Wow, I never knew that you got off on that kind of-"

Naruto deflected another shot, and realizing talk time was over, leapt away from the group, Aurra following with her blasters spitting out a barrage of destructive fire.

XX

While Naruto and Aurra got..."reacquainted", Maul leapt forward as well, spinning his dual blades as he lunged at the Jedi.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon met him halfway, blue and green blades clashing with red as the three began a deadly dance of whirling blades and searing energy, Master and Padawan acting as a well-oiled machine, weaving in and out of Maul's vicious onslaught.

"_Even two on one, he understands our attacks." _Obi-Wan thought. "_We've become predictable."_

Kicking Qui-Gon in the face, Maul spun around, using impressive acrobatics to gain distance from the Jedi as he whirled his doublesaber around himself, catching Obi-Wan's blade and deflecting it before slinging his blade around himself in an attempt to bisect the Padawan.

Blocking the strike, Obi-Wan was relieved when his Master rejoined the fight, the two once again falling in synch with one another, driving Maul back as he blocked and parried their strikes.

XX

_**Space Battle Above Naboo...**_

Jango looked at his screen and smirked behind his helm. "Here come the Naboo, just like we were promised. Let's light the way for the wandering souls, shall we?"

He moved his own fighter out from hiding, watching as hundreds of Vulture Droids were launched from the control ship's hangars, spewing forth like an unholy swarm of locusts as they descended upon the Naboo starfighters, completely unaware of the impending pincer attack that would be brought on by the Mandalorians.

"_There's so many of these clankers, I don't even know where to start." _thought Jango.

Swooping behind several Vultures, he triggered his laser cannons, and the droids went up in flames, not having a clue as to what just hit them.

All around him, his fellow warriors took out similar targets by surprise as they buzzed past the Naboo starfighters.

"Welcome to the party. I hope you guys were courteous enough to bring some party favors." Jango quipped in greeting.

"Don't worry your pretty little heads. We've brought some special ones just for you." One of the pilots retorted, and the sleek yellow craft joined the Mandalorian fleet, explosions filling the space above Naboo.

XX

While the fighters were engaging one another, the _Mandalorian Dawn_ moved in, using its' dual heavy turbolaser cannons to let the droid control ship know that it wasn't sitting idly by.

On the bridge of the _Dawn_, Jaster Mereel smirked behind his helm. "Once more into the breach." He said softly, as the turbolaser cannons lit up the droid ship's shields.

XX

_**Palace Hanger...**_

Naruto leapt backwards, continuously backflipping as he avoided the hail of red death Sing volleyed at him. Landing in a crouch, Naruto sprung forward, forcing Aurra to take out her own saber, deflecting his green one and aiming for his gut with her blaster.

That move was one she would regret, however, as she soon found her blaster sawed in half, the chamber and barrel clattering to the floor as she tossed the smoking piece aside, her saber already in motion as she slammed it against Naruto's, pushing him back across the polished surface.

"_I was expecting her. Not so soon, and definitely not here, but I figured after that sand rock they call a planet, she would come looking for me."_The blond thought. To her, he was a loose end, and if she hated loose ends even remotely as much as he did, he understood that she would do whatever it took to tie up that loose end..._**whatever it took.**_

Pushing her back, he saw her attempt to draw her other blaster. Shaking his head, his green blade intercepted her draw, slicing the barrel off the second blaster, as well.

Cursing in Huttese, Sing through the smoking gun at Naruto, who merely dodged the hurled projectile and brought his saber to meet hers.

"C'mon, Aurra. You should know better than to bring blasters to a lightsaber fight. Thinking like that will get you killed one of these days." Naruto playfully scolded.

"Keep laughing, Jedi. We'll see who has the last laugh when I carve open your stomach, and feast on your entrails."

"My, my, someone has a tem~per."

"SHUT UP!"

Swinging wildly, Aurra lost all form of self-control, the irritating blonde miscreant not even batting an eye as she struck his saber again and again, sparks flying wildly as she slammed her blade against his in unbridled fury.

"YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SCARED! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE COWERING IN FEAR! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BEGGING FOR YOUR LIFE! **WHY...AREN'T...YOU...AFRAID?"**

With every statement, Aurra's anger grew and grew, her incomprehension at how this _kid_ could stand up to her, the great Jedi Hunter Aurra Sing, without so much as a twitch, was pushing her to her limit.

Naruto looked around, spotting Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan off to the side, battling fiercely against the Sith Lord. He watched as Qui-Gon took another boot to the face, buying the Sith enough time to use the Force on a severed droid head, flinging it at the door controls to the Reactor Room, the control panel sparking as the doors shot open.

Backing into the now opened room, Maul engaged Obi-Wan, who was quickly joined by Qui-Gon, the two Jedi once again driving the Sith backwards.

However, to Naruto, it seemed too easy. Even if both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were Masters, the two would still have a difficult time in driving the Sith back as quickly as they were. This led Naruto to believe that the two were walking into a trap, and his feelings about battle were never wrong.

He also had a sinking feeling, one that put his earlier feelings to shame. He just hoped it wasn't a premonition.

He had the strongest impression...that someone close to him was about to die.

XX

_**The Battle of Grassy Plains, outside Theed...**_

Revan looked out, seeing the majority of the droid army close to or near the shield line, the Mandalorians doing a terrific job of keeping the droids from reaching the shield generator, even though their casualty rate was steadily climbing.

"Montross!" she yelled, getting the Mandalorian's attention. "Now!"

Prior to the battle, the troops had estimated the length of their shield line, and had placed hundreds of explosives on or around the area. The droids hadn't bothered to even test the grounds, and that lack of caution cost them dearly, as Montross pushed a button on his gauntlet.

Throughout the ranks, hundreds of tube-like shapes sprung from the ground, getting to about chest level and making some of the droids pause in surprise.

No sooner had the first droid posed an inquiry did the frags explode, taking the already whittled down droid army and shearing through their ranks once more, thousands of droids going up in smoke, flame, and broken parts as a minimum of 1/3 of the remaining forces were torn apart.

"Gotta love Bouncing Frags." Revan said, ducking behind a Mandalorian with a shield as the droids were ripped to shreds, the smoldering scrap raining down like fire and brimstone across the field.

"You truly are something on the battlefield, Revan." Montross said, impressed with the way the woman had directed the battle thus far.

Revan was back in battle once more, lightsabers swinging and droids coming apart unceremoniously. From his position, HK-47 MKII was using his third assault rifle (seeing as how the first two simply ran out of blaster cartridges, and were thusly discarded), mowing down even more that might have gotten close to its' mistress.

All around the field, Mandalorian warriors were in combat, either with blasters or blades as they continued to fend back the assault.

"Protect the shield generator at all costs." Montross ordered. He'd be damned if he allowed the droid tanks to pound them with artillery from a distance. Merely several minutes of an onslaught like that, and he knew that they would be finished.

"Sir." Jaga, one of the warriors near him cried out. "Look!"

At the top of the hill, he saw unknown creatures coming from the swamp, attacking the tanks and what few droids were remaining upon the hill to coordinate the assault.

"What the hell are those?" Montross asked.

Revan paused and looked. "Gungans. They're the native swamp and water dwellers of Naboo. Guess they're on our side."

She blocked more blaster fire and fell back to the safety of the shields. "General." One said and she paused. It had been a long time since anyone had called her that title.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Reports from the palace are finally coming in. General Namikaze has been engaged by a bounty hunter named Aurra Sing, while the Jedi have engaged the Sith."

Revan scowled.

"The Queen and her party are heading up via alternate means, as the corridors are choked with battle and destroyer droids."

Revan nodded. "Continue monitoring the situation. What of the space battle?"

The Mandalorian that was acting as communications officer paused for a moment.

"Jango and his fighters have engaged the Vulture droids with the Naboo, while the _Mandalorian Dawn_ has engaged the Droid Control Ship, but its' shields are withstanding the bombardment thus far."

Revan nodded. "Montross!"

Montross appeared at her side. "We need to finish this. The Gungan's are merely an annoyance to the droids, and they're only delaying the tanks. However, this could turn the tide in our favor"

"You want a detachment to go to their aid? How many?"

"One squad, with jet packs and anti-tank munitions." She said. "We can't spare more for them. They entered this voluntarily, and we don't have the resources to spread our forces any thinner."

Montross nodded, and sent word for a volunteer squad.

Revan sighed as she looked on over the battle.

"_Today could have gone better." _She thought, ignoring the uneasy feeling in her gut.

XX

_**Space Battle Above Naboo...**_

Jango wove his fighter along the surface of the droid control ship, trying to shake the vulture droid fighters that had managed to acquire his tail as target practice.

He saw the _Dawn_ open up with another volley on the far side of the ship, and knew to avoid that if he didn't want to visit his ancestors too soon.

A pair of N-1's sliced between him and the droids, destroying them as they passed.

"Nice shot." He said.

"You're welcome." Came the voice of the Naboo pilot. "So, how many of these do we have to destroy before we can crack open a keg and celebrate?"

"All of them." Jango deadpanned.

"Oh. Is that all?" Came the pilot's half-hearted reply. "I thought it was something difficult, like facing insurmountable odds, or flying in blind and bare-assed into a rancor pit."

Jango smirked behind his visor. "That's the fighting on the ground."

More droid fighters were launched, once more swelling the ranks of the whittled droid fleet, and Jango hoped his adoptive father would get the shields down fast.

Starfighters continually whipped through space, lighting it up with lasers and explosions. The Mandalorians and Naboo were had the skill and the expertise, but the droids had the numbers, and so far, the numbers were proving to be the better choice.

XX

_**Theed, Palace Hanger...**_

Naruto impacted with the hanger floor, Sing barely managing to leap away as the Rasengan tore up a large section of the floor, showering her with debris.

"What the hell was that?" cried Sing. "I've never seen a Force power like that."

"Because it's not a Force power." replied Naruto. His danger senses were in overdrive, and they weren't worried about his health. The longer the feeling lasted, the stronger and more prominent/clear they became. He was able to rule out his wife as the source, as well as the Mandalorians. Even the Queen was ruled out. Which left...

"Shit, this is not good." Naruto said, before turning back to Aurra. "Sorry, hon, but I've got to finish this fight quickly."

Aurra's eyes narrowed. "Pitiful Jedi scum. As if you could take me out." She hoisted her saber, her posture screaming anger, before she charged him. "DIE!"

Naruto sighed, deflecting her saber attacks. "_Although I know I can beat her, I can't let my guard down, or I'll lose a limb. I just hope Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are having a better time than I am."_

XX

The Jedi weren't having as easy a time as Naruto hoped. The Sith warrior that Sing had identified as Maul was very skilled with his double-bladed lightsaber, and was constantly trying to separate the duo.

However, the Master/Padawan team were not so easily separated, and if they happened to be separated, they would be back together in a moment's notice.

Maul, however, had a plan to separate the two, and his opportunity came when the foolish Jedi followed him into the Theed Generator Complex.

As Obi-Wan brought his saber around in an overhead swing, Maul lashed out with a vicious kick, catching Obi-Wan in the face and sprawling him to the polished floor. Qui-Gon was instantly upon Maul, driving him back with blow after ferocious blow.

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan leapt to his feet, quickly rejoining his master as the two Jedi drove the Sith warrior back, well-placed attacks and timely defense pushing Maul back against a precipice.

Glaring at the two Jedi, Maul analyzed the situation, on the lookout for the first attack. It came in the form of a feint from Obi-Wan, causing Maul to whip his saber in that direction. Qui-Gon then lunged forward, intent on driving his green blade through the Zabrak.

Maul backflipped, landing on a nearby walkway with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon leaping after him. Maul whipped his other blade around, catching Obi-Wan's second attack with a smirk.

Back and forth, the Jedi and Sith fought heatedly, neither giving much ground. Maul got a break when he clashed with Obi-Wan, the sparks from their sabers clashing flying into a nearby reactor, causing it to flare wildly and temporarily blind the young Padawan.

Maul took this opening and kicked Obi-Wan hard, knocking the Jedi off the platform they were on and down to another walkway below, nearly sliding off but managing to hold on at the last second, hoisting himself from the abyss and grabbing his fallen lightsaber.

Looking up, he saw his master shoulder the Sith, before backhanding him, knocking him off the platform as well. Maul landed hard, the wind temporarily knocked out of him. Qui-Gon leapt down, landing next to Maul and preparing to deliver the death blow.

Maul's quick thinking saved his life, his leg snapping up and kicking Qui-Gon, staggering the Jedi Master while Maul leapt to his feet. Qui-Gon was on him in a flash, his lightsaber a whirling blade of green energy as he ferociously drove the Sith backwards.

Obi-Wan used the Force to leap up several feet, landing on the same walkway as the two duelists. Once more utilizing the Force, he began to sprint towards his master, intent on rejoining him.

Meanwhile, Maul and Qui-Gon had just entered the Generator Room, the force fields deactivated as they wove their deadly dance through the hallway, red blades counteracting green as they spun, twisted, and turned, Qui-Gon following the Sith's movements to a T.

Obi-Wan was nearing the fierce duel, but was forced to skid to a halt as the force fields suddenly sprung forth, halting Obi-Wan's progress, and forcing Maul and Qui-Gon to disengage.

Qui-Gon deactivated his saber, merely standing there. Maul looked somewhat surprised at the force fields. He slammed his blade against the field. Realizing it would do no good, Maul reluctantly shut his saber off as well.

Seeing both warriors stymied by the fields, Obi-Wan followed suit, shutting off his saber as Qui-Gon knelt on the floor, entering light meditation as Maul paced the floor, walking back and forth across the polished surface like a caged animal.

Obi-Wan was really concerned. He didn't think he would make it to his master by the next field cycle. His hand brushing his pocket, he blinked. Reaching inside, he pulled out a tri-pronged kunai that Naruto had given him before the attack.

_**Flashback...**_

"Hey, Ben!" Naruto called, before they left the ship.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

Naruto handed him a pouch. Opening it and looking inside, he saw a strange tri-bladed weapon.

"It's a tri-pronged kunai." Naruto said, seeing his friends look. "My father created them a long time ago, for a very specific jutsu that he was a master of. I've inherited the technique, and while I will never be as good as him at it, I'm still a master at it."

"That's very nice of you Naruto, but I'm not sure I'm the right person to give this to. Why not Revan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Revan has one already. Listen, it's not a weapon for you to use. But if you need help, throw it. I'll be there as fast as possible…" Naruto paused. "Well, as long as I'm on the planet." He said, giving Obi-Wan one of his fox like grins as he scratched the back of his head.

_**End Flashback...**_

"_What did he mean by that?" _Obi-Wan thought. Naruto hadn't really explained it, but he trusted his friend, and had kept the strange kunai close. He hesitated, but put the kunai back in his pocket.

"_As much as I trust Naruto, I don't think we need him. We can beat him on our own." _Obi-Wan thought.

XX

_**In the upper levels of the Palace...**_

Padme, the Handmaidens, and the Queen's Guards made their way down the hallway, suddenly taking cover when battle droids ambushed them, coming out from behind the decorated columns and opening fire.

Trading blaster fire, Padme turned to Panaka. "We don't have time for this, Captain."

Having voiced her concerns, she turned back to the battle, picking off another battle droid.

The man nodded. "Blow out the windows." He ordered, and the troops with him blasted the windows across the hall.

Padme nodded, and using covering fire ran across the hall and out the window.

A half-dozen guards and Panaka joined her on the ledge, while the rest continued to draw fire in the corridor.

"Ascension guns!" Panaka ordered as they attached the launcher to their blasters and shot the grapples and lines up. The grapples stuck to the rock, and they began the ascension to the upper floor.

Once they reached the ledge, they stood on either side while they blew the window open, glass exploding inwards as their blasters tore through them.

Panaka and Padme entered first, followed by the guards. They could hear the pitched battle below and crept along the corridor.

The sound of rolling metal had them turn to see five Droidekas and one battle droid appear in the adjacent corridors, unfurling and bringing their twin blasters to bear.

Padme raised her hands, and nodded for the others to surrender. She saw the spiral like design on the B-1 battle droid's chest, the orange marking letting her know that this was Naruto's corrupted battle droid.

"_I hope his idea works." _She thought, watching the Viceroy, Haako, and several more B-1 droids appear from the Throne Room.

_**Space Battle Above Naboo...**_

The _Mandalorian Dawn_'s turbolasers rained destruction against the shields of the droid control ship, thus far unable to penetrate them.

In the cockpit of his starfighter, Jango cursed in Galactic Basic and Mandalorian as he weaved his ship between the broadcasting dishes of the control ship, hoping to lose the Vulture Droids he'd picked up.

The turbolaser crews aboard the _Dawn_ must have spotted him as their fire intensified behind him and the vulture droids were cut down in a hail of red and green fire, as Jango's fighter once again shot into the pitched battle with the Naboo fighters and more droid fighters.

He looked on as a Naboo fighter was obliterated by the station's turbolaser cannons, his cockpit erupting in flames before the ship broke apart as the garbled scream of, "The deflector shields are too strong." was suddenly cut off, his companions retaliating by destroying one of the satellite dishes located on the control ship.

He thumbed the lasers, tearing though several more Vulture Droids, and hoped that the battle on the ground was going better.

XX

_**Palace Hanger...**_

Naruto avoided the wild blaster shots, as well as redirected a few detonators that were hurled his way, Aurra Sing's visage showing ever-increasing rage.

_Oh, yeah. She's DEFINITELY pissed." _He chuckled mentally. "_How typical, though.__ The more pissed-off she becomes, the wilder her shots are."_

Naruto continued to deflect shots with his lightsaber, grinning as he implemented a tried-and-true method of distraction: pissing off his opponent.

"So bounty hunter, you nab anyone famous, or do you just feed off the scraps of what the Jedi don't bring in?"

The barrage of blaster fire had Naruto dancing across the hanger, laughing jubilantly. "_OOOOH, I think I made her mad. A couple of well-timed spurs to her credibility, and all sense of control goes right out the airlock."_

XX

_**Force Field Corridor...**_

Obi-Wan felt the mechanisms start to shut down even before the fields deactivated. Looking forward, he could already see Qui-Gon and the Sith facing off again, and the Sith was backing up once more.

The last field snapped open, and Obi-Wan hurled himself down the corridor. Despite his impressive speed, and the additional boost he received from the Force, he knew it wouldn't be enough.

"_I should have known...it was a trap all along. It was a tactic to try and separate us, to lure us apart, and it worked! Blast it, I'm not going to make it in time. I need a plan, I need a plan, I need a-" _Obi-Wan thought, suddenly remembering the tri-pronged kunai Naruto gave him.

Hurriedly pulling it from his pocket, he took aim and threw it as hard as he could, figuring some back-up for Qui-Gon was better than none, as the aging Jedi Master seemed on his last legs. The blade cleared the barrier just before it snapped shut, and Obi-Wan could only watch as Qui-Gon fought the Sith alone.

Neither saw the blade hit the wall and pulse once as the seal on it activated.

XX

_**Palace Hangar...**_

Naruto felt the pulse, and looked at Sing across from their locked blades.

"Sorry. If possible, I would drag this out and wear you down before completely crushing you, but my friends need me. I'm going to have to make this quick." At her glare, Naruto blinked, his eyes changing color from crystal blue to blood red, his slitted pupils boring into Aurra's very soul.

Gasping, she backed up, swinging wildly as she attempted to get the blond away from her, but to no avail. With a simple shunshin, Naruto appeared before her, driving a reddish-colored Rasengan into her gut.

Gasping, she choked on her own saliva, before the whirling ball of energy propelled her into the hangar wall, the mortar and stone cracking and crumbling under the onslaught. Eyes wide, Aurra Sing screamed her lungs out, the Rasengan drilling into her tissue in a most excruciating fashion, before suddenly dispersing, leaving a ragged circular tear in her clothing, a raw spiral pattern on her stomach.

As the ball seemingly vanished, Aurra gasped once more, this time in relief, before slumping to her knees, her lightsaber clattering to the floor as her hands tried and failed to support her, the fatigue in her muscles finally making itself known as she collapsed to the cold marble floor.

"It's been fun, Aurra. A real treat, if I do say so myself. We'll have to play again sometime...if you live after that attack, that is."

Before her eyes closed, Naruto's image vanished in a yellow flash.

"_I-impossible…h-how did he..." _was Aurra Sing last thought, before darkness claimed her.

XX

_**Theed Generator Room...**_

Qui-Gon was feeling every one of his sixty years of age. The duel had been long and tiring, the fact that Maul was at least half his junior not helping him in the least.

He wasn't vain in his belief that his age mattered, as his years of experience and expertise couldn't compensate for a moderately skillful Sith warrior who was in-tune with the Force. However, he called on the Force once more, and used it to support his fading strength and stamina.

Unfortunately, even his mastery of the Force couldn't compensate for his failing strength, and Qui-Gon was caught off guard when an overhand strike he made was knocked away by Maul's blade, followed by the Sith's saber hilt to his face.

Stunned by the hit to the head, Qui-Gon's defenses were shattered. As if in slow motion, the Jedi Master could only watch as Maul then spun his blade around, bringing it to his side in a backwards thrust.

Obi-Wan stood there in shock, watching in horrified disbelief as his master was impaled on the red blade, a harsh gasp escaping his lips as the sound of searing flesh could be heard throughout the chamber.

Obi-Wan watched as the Sith ruthlessly tore his lightsaber from his master's gut, dismissing the fallen Jedi Master and turning to face the Padawan with a sinfully wicked grin.

Not believing his eyes, Obi-Wan could do only one thing:

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**

XX

Panting heavily, Qui-Gon watched as he died, the Sith embedding his lightsaber in his gut, and watching as he fell to the floor below, a lifeless look in his eyes.

"_Wait...I'm dead? I...I never felt the blade enter me...I...how?"_ thought Qui-Gon.

He reached up, touching the exact spot where the blade had entered him. Only, he couldn't find any marks. No scorched flesh, no torn skin, no gaping hole. Nothing.

"Looks like I got here just in time, huh?"

Startled, Qui-Gon whipped his head around, seeing Naruto standing there with a pained expression on his face as he gripped his chest.

"N-naruto? I...when...you...HOW?"

Naruto's forced chuckle came back. "See this?" he asked, holding up a tri-pronged kunai by its' ring. "This is my dad's signature technique, the Hirashin. Him and I are the only ones who have ever been able to use it. It allows me to teleport, in a sense, to any location, as long as the kunai here," he waggled it for emphasis, "is in position. It's what we like to call a Space-Time Ninjutsu."

The Jedi Master nodded, before another thought occurred to him. "Wait...I just saw my own death. How am I still alive?"

"That's the thing. I was able to create a Blood Clone, and have it use the Kawarimi to swap places with you, letting it take the blow."

"But why does it look like me?"

"Henge, remember?"

Qui-Gon blinked, before remembering Naruto's explanations about the three basic jutsu that the Ninja Academy taught all aspiring ninja. He also remembered that it was considered one of the simplest techniques a ninja could use, and chuckled to himself.

"So, you used an extremely advanced technique, combined with two of the simplest techniques in the book, to save my wrinkled ass. Does that about cover it?"

Naruto laughed. "Pretty much, yeah." He then cringed, and fell to one of his knees.

Qui-Gon was instantly beside him. "What is it?"

"That Blood Clone...even though it's useful as hell, everything that it learns, sees, hears, and feels gets transferred right back to you...including the pain of being stabbed in the chest with a lightsaber."

Qui-Gon's eyes widened. "Naruto...I had no idea...I'm so sorry I made you do this for me."

Naruto chuckled, standing to his feet and eyeing the Sith Lord across the chasm. "Don't be. I'll do anything for a friend."

The Jedi Master blinked, before he smiled. "_Friend, huh? If this is how he treats his friends, then I'm glad I get to be one of them."_

XX

Obi-Wan's face clearly showed his utter disbelief. "_Where in the Force did Naruto come from? Was it because of the kunai? Just WHAT IS a Ninja? How powerful is Naruto, really?"_

Maul had sensed the death of the individual he'd stabbed, but when a popping sound was heard, he spun around, only to find the body of the Jedi Master gone, smoke rising from its' place. Spotting a shock of blonde hair, he whipped his head over to find the Jedi Master alive...ALIVE, and with the blonde miscreant at his side!

Maul snarled, twirling his doublesaber in his hands as he glared at the blonde. "_I nearly had the old one, then blondie appears again, and out of nowhere, too. That force field was CLOSED! There should have been no way he could have entered. Master Sidious was not aware of this one's abilities, not by a long shot."_

"_Not to mention the fact that this duel has gone on much longer than anticipated. Those two Jedi worked perfectly in-synch with one another, and made it impossible for me to exploit any weaknesses. I finally got them separated, and HE shows up to ruin EVERYTHING."_ raged Maul, his anger nearly palpable in the air.

Growling, Maul nearly leapt forward, before the sound of the force fields deactivating made him spin around, an enraged Obi-Wan Kenobi slamming his blade into Maul's, and proceeding to drive him back with ferocious slashes.

"_Now I have to deal with the blonde, as well. Even though the Jedi Master is out of commission, this Padawan is raring to go, and the blonde Jedi hasn't even broken a sweat in his fight with Sing. The only reason I can think of that he would be here is that she was defeated. He still looks fresh, as if he didn't even fight. Meanwhile, I've had to face two well-oiled Jedi for the past THIRTY MINUTES!"_

Maul's contemplation occurred in a matter of seconds, and during those seconds, as he was continuously forced back by the Padawan's blows, Maul came to a startling realization.

"_I...I could die here...I might be about to die..."_

XX

_**Throne Room...**_

"Ah, Queen Amidala we meet face to face at last." Nute Gunray said in a false greeting as Padme and her people were ushered in before him.

"Your little insurrection is at an end, Your Highness. Time for you to sign the treaty, and end this pointless debate in the Senate."

"Viceroy!"

At the doorway, the Queen and her guards appear. Behind them are several destroyed battle droids littering the corridor. "Your occupation here has ended!" The Queen raises her blaster, and fires, capping two battle droids before they could even raise their blasters.

Nute and his people look stunned to see the second Queen. Nute turns to the ten battle droids that are left in the room. "After her! This one is a decoy!"

Eight of the droids hurry out of the Throne Room after the 'Queen'. Nute turns to Padme. "Your Queen will not get away with this."

Padme pretends to look depressed, slumping down and sitting on the throne. Nute turns back to the doorway, and doesn't see Padme hit a security button that opens a panel in the desk opposite Captain Panaka. Padme grabs two pistols and tosses one to Captain Panaka and one to an officer. She takes a third pistol and blasts the remaining battle droid.

"Bob, secure the door." She orders the corrupted Battle Droid.

"Believe it!" the droid says, and with several of the guards rushs to the door control panel as Padme hits a switch on the throne to close the door. Bob jams the controls at the door, preventing them from being opened on the outside. Panaka begins to throw other blaster pistols to the guards. The Viceroy and his entourage look around wildly, completely caught off-guard at the sudden turn of events.

Padme stands before Gunray, looking rather peeved. "Now, _Viceroy_, we will discuss a _new_ treaty."

XX

_**Theed Generator Room...**_

Obi-Wan spun around, slashing though Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber, the shock registering on his face before a swift kick to the chest knocked the air out of him, sending him sprawling to the floor.

Obi-Wan leapt over a retaliatory strike, aiming his saber at the Zabrak's head. The blue blade scraped across the ground, though, as Maul leapt out of the way, spinning several times to gain distance from the Padawan.

Now back on his feet, Maul, fueled with his newfound rage, began heatedly clashing with the Padawan, spinning into a roundhouse kick to Obi-Wan's face, causing him to do a backflip to avoid being knocked over.

Landing on his feet, Obi-Wan leapt back into the fray, slashing and hacking at Maul as the Sith performed several more acrobatic maneuvers to avoid the heated blows.

Slamming his blade against Maul's, Obi-Wan glared at the Sith, his anger costing him his insight as Maul knocked him back, before a Force Push sent Obi-Wan over the pit, his lightsaber landing near the edge as the Padawan barely managed to grab a light fixture on the side, hanging on for all he was worth.

Maul smirked, believing victory was finally his. Moving over to the edge, he casually kicked the lightsaber towards the pit, watching as it fell in. His smirk vanished, however, when seconds later, it floated back up, hanging in the air before flying over to Naruto's open palm.

"Fun and games are OVER, Maul. This ends here and now." said Naruto as he drew his own saber, activating both green and blue blades.

Maul snarled, and threw his hand out, Qui-Gon's blade gravitating to his hand. Igniting the green blade, he turned his full attention on the blonde that had given him so much trouble. "You're right, Jedi. I will kill all of you right here, right now."

Naruto closed his eyes, before snapping them open, the orange markings of Sage Mode prevalent on his eyelids. "No holding back. Prepare yourself."

Leaping forward, at a speed that Maul couldn't hope to match, Naruto aimed his blue blade at the Zabrak's face, Qui-Gon's green blade barely managing to deflect it as the red blade came searing in, fully intent on slicing off Naruto's arm at the elbow.

Naruto, however, was having none of that, and brought his green blade to intercept, deflecting it long enough to turn and use the hilt as a beatstick, crashing it into the Sith's nose, forcing him to break off.

Spinning around, blood dripping from his shattered nose, the Sith emitted a guttural roar, and leapt forward, his blades whirling as he drove the blonde back, green saber meeting blue, and red saber meeting green, all four blades in a whirlwind of color, sound, and emotion, the green and red combo a furious onslaught of unrelenting attacks, while the green and blue combo a calm but sturdy defense, effortlessly deflecting fierce assaults, and utilizing momentum to their andvantage.

As Naruto and Maul worked their way around the walkway, Obi-Wan managed to leap out of the chasm, landing on the ground and rushing to his master's side.

"Master, are you injured?" asked Obi-Wan.

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Just my pride, Obi-Wan. Just my pride. I needed to be saved by an older man, and that does not sit well with me."

Obi-Wan smiled at that, before turning back to the heated battle, neither opponent giving an inch, but the Zabrak was sweating profusely at trying to keep up such a pace.

"Master...how is Naruto so strong?" Obi-Wan queried.

Qui-Gon smiled. "Because, Obi-Wan...he fights for others. Most importantly...he fights for those who are precious to him. THAT is where his strength lies."

XX

Darth Maul was being forced back, only to retake the ground he'd lost, and then he'd repeat the process over and over again. Each time he went through it, he came out weaker than when he went in.

Naruto decided that Maul was weak enough, and poured on the pressure, driving him back unforgivingly with savage strikes that had remarkable precision, forcing Maul to pay close attention to every detail, lest he lose a limb or his head.

One of the final nails in his coffin came when he went in for an underhand strike, the green blade searing through the air as he aimed to split the blonde in twain.

Naruto saw an opening, and deflecting the red blade he'd been holding back, used first his blue blade to catch the strike, applying just enough pressure so he would lock blades with the Zabrak. While the red blade was still in the air, brought his green saber down, shearing through the forearm of the Sith Lord.

Both hand and saber clattered to the floor, Maul's agonized scream echoing through the chamber as he backed away from the blonde, his red saber still held in his right hand as his left arm trembled uncontrollably, going into shock from the loss of a limb.

"You're beaten, Maul. It's over. Surrender now, and I can promise that I will spare your life."

Maul looked from his severed limb to the perpetrator of the crime, his eyes glazed over with pain and hatred as he shook his stub at the blonde.

"YOU JEDI ARE ALL THE SAME! WEAK! COMPASSIONATE! WILLING TO FORGIVE OTHERS FOR THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS! IT'S THOSE SAME SENTIMENTS THAT WILL BE YOUR UNDOING! THE SITH **WILL** BE VICTORIOUS, AND WE **WILL** REGAIN CONTROL OF THE GALAXY!"

Naruto shook his head, deactivating and tossing Obi-Wan his lightsaber, before using what Force power he had to remove Qui-Gon's blade from Maul's severed hand, tossing it to the Jedi Master, as well.

Turning to the Zabrak, he regarded him with pity in his eyes. "I see...I suppose I have no choice, then. May the Force grant you peace in death...peace that you never had in life."

Forming the infamous cross seal, multiple copies of Naruto appeared. Not even drawing their sabers, they instead drew kunai and proceeded to attack the Sith, who easily managed to cut them down.

Meanwhile, two clones had remained behind, both of their hands near the originals. As one held his hands steady, holding the Shape Manipulation steady, the other's hands were wild, moving around in a broken circle as he provided the Nature Manipulation, and the original simply provided the chakra for the whole thing.

Soon, a piercing screech was heard, the air inside the chamber becoming a violent wind, as Naruto completed his Rasenshuriken. Nodding to his clones, they each created one more clone, for a total of four.

Taking out their lightsabers, they coated their hands in Futon chakra, and attached each blade to the center of the jutsu, placing them so they filled in the gaps of the original, the Rasenshuriken now having eight points instead of four.

Naruto dispersed the clones near him just as the last clone was slain by Darth Maul, the Sith now taking notice of the screeching Ninjutsu. Naruto gave him no time to react, taking aim at Darth Maul from across the chasm, and hurling the technique with all his might.

The jutsu covered the entire length of the chasm in less than a second. Maul vainly tried to raise his saber, but to no effect. Even if his eyes could see the attack, his body couldn't react fast enough to dodge or block it. The Rasenshuriken met his flesh with a sickening squelch, before the sabers in the wind blades began to scorch the recent wounds.

Crying out in unbearable agony, Maul screamed as he was slowly sheared in half, the jutsu seeming to take its' time carving him like a Christmas turkey before shooting through him and impacting with the wall behind him. The concussive force of the explosion of the jutsu destabilizing was enough to knock the still-standing Maul into the chasm, his black clothing fluttering as his bisected form fell into the abyss below.

Naruto inhaled and exhaled deeply, the jutsu dissipating as he deactivated his Sage Mode, the orange markings fading from his eyes. Turning to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, he laughed at their priceless expressions, both of utter awe and amazement, before winking in their direction.

Finally snapping out of their trance, both Master and Padawan laughed back, smiling and winking in return.

XX

_**Space Battle Above Naboo...**_

Jango cursed in Huttese as he spun his fighter away from the explosions, and as he banked he suddenly found himself in the hanger of the droid control ship.

He flew his fighter down the hanger, and he smirked behind his helmet as he thumbed the laser cannons , watching as droids and fighters went up in flames as he passed.

"_This is what it means to be a Mandalorian." _He thought.

His ship's computer chirped as he looked at the readout.

"A power reactor? Here? How stupid are these clankers?" He chuckled and had the computer lock on to the location. Approaching the main reactor, he fired two torpedoes as he went past. His fighter passed over more droids as he did an abrupt 180, his tail catching several droids as he swung around.

He could already hear the explosion of the torpedoes hitting their mark, and he gunned his fighter as flames began to spread throughout the _Saak'ak_.

"**What the hell?" **came a female pilot over the comm. **"What's that? It's blowing up from the inside!"**

"**We didn't hit it!" **came a male pilot.

"**Jango?"**

"I'm here, Mandalore. I am exiting the ship as we speak. I passed their barrier and was able to torpedo their main reactor." Jango said.

"**While that's all fine and dandy, you better m****ove your ass, boy, or it's going to fry real quick."**

Jango laughed as he pushed more power into the ship's engines.

"**Look, it's one of ours, out of the main hold!"** came one of the Naboo pilots.

Jango shot out of the hangar just as a massive ball of flame shot out of the side hangar, engulfing the area he'd been seconds ago.

He saw that the _Mandalorian Dawn_ was moving away, continuing it's unrelenting assault on the bridge of the control ship. All around its' ring, flames were spewing forth from random ruptures in the ship. Finally, the reactor completely melt down, and the bridge of the _Saak'ak_ erupted in a brilliant fireball of twisted metal and shrapnel, the entire control ship breaking apart at the seams.

Jango got a message on a private channel and switched over.

**"I am proud of you, my son."**

Jango smiled but said nothing, as the channel was already closed.

XX

_**Grassy Plains, Outside of Theed...**_

Revan was slicing her way though another group of battle droids, so it took her a couple of seconds to realize that all activity around her had quite suddenly stopped.

She looked at the droids, then looked at Montross, and then at HK-47. Her gaze went to the hill where a Gungan pushed a droid over, followed by several more as the deactivated droids were toppled like bowling pins.

Shaking her head she looked at Montross. "Police the droids, prepare them for transport."

"General?" Montross asked.

"Mandalorian salvage rights." Revan said, and walked away.

Montross watched her go. "What a leader." He said, chuckling.

He turned and gave the order even as Revan and her droid boarded an air speeder and shot away to the Palace.

XX

_**Capital City of Theed, 2 Days After the Battle of Naboo...**_

A large grandiose cruiser sporting the symbol of the Supreme Chancellor lands in the palace courtyard. Captain Panaka and twenty troops guard Nute Gunray and his assistant Rune Haako.

Obi-wan, Qui-Gon, and the Namikazes stand with Queen Padme Amidala and her handmaidens. Naruto had laughed his ass off when Obi-Wan learned that Padme was the queen, the Padawan's jaw dropping like a stone, before he collected his shattered dignity and took is rage out on Naruto, who danced around the room as Obi-Wan swung at him with his saber, Revan and Qui-Gon looking on in amusement.

After killing Maul, Naruto had checked on the two Jedi, making sure they're okay before he rushed back to the hangar, not surprised to find Aurra Sing vanished. Knowing this was the second time she had escaped him, he had a sneaking suspicion that they would fight again.

Padme, decked out in her regal robes, looked at the Neimoidians. "Now Viceroy, you're going to have to go back to the Senate and explain all this."

Panaka stepped forward, sporting a smirk "I think you can kiss your Trade franchise goodbye."

The main ramp of the cruiser lowers as Obi-Wan and Captain Panaka lead the Viceroy and his assistant toward the ship.

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and several Republic Guards descend the walkway, followed by several Jedi Masters, Mace Windu and Master Yoda amongst them.

Approaching the 3 Jedi and lone Ninja, Palpatine smiled as he greeted them. "We are indebted to you all for your bravery, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Revan Namikaze."

He then turned to Naruto. "And you, young Namikaze. We will watch your career with _great_ interest."

Naruto bowed, before nodding. "Likewise, Supreme Chancellor."

Palpatine chuckled and moved past the Jedi, once more being greeted, only this time by Queen Amidala.

"Congratulations on your election, Chancellor." She says. "It is good to see you again."

Palpatine bows slightly. "Its good to be home. Your boldness has saved our people, Your Majesty. It is YOU who should be congratulated. Together, we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic."

Naruto leans over to Revan and whispers, "Sounds like he's running for re-election already-OOF!"

His wife planted her elbow in his gut. "Behave." She hissed.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon greet the Jedi Masters. It's at this moment that Revan notices a familiar young boy with Palpatine, as Panaka leads the Neimoidians to the ship to be placed in security cells.

"Anakin?"

The boy looks at her sadly, and she can feel sorrow and rage rolling off of him. She notices bandages on his arms and around his neck. Revan and Naruto approach him.

"Mom's dead." He hissed at her. "And it's all your fault."

Revan blinked as the boy stalked past her and stood behind Palpatine.

She looked at the gathered Masters. "What happened?"

Mace spoke up as Yoda was getting the report from Qui-Gon. "Shortly after you all left, there was a fire at the Skywalker apartment. Shmi Skywalker didn't make it out. A citizen nearby broke the door down and got Anakin out. Palpatine took him in, and he's made Anakin his aide-in-training."

Revan felt something and looked over her shoulder, seeing Palpatine resting a hand on Anakin's shoulder even as he was talking with Padme.

"We need to speak with the four of you." Mace said, getting Revan's attention once more. "Where are the warriors that fought the battle?"

"Gone. They did the job. Parades aren't in a Mandalorian's vocabulary. They do the job, then get out. They aren't known for staying in one place for long." Revan said with a smirk.

"Like someone else I know." Naruto said, and got another elbow in the gut from his wife.

Yoda approached and paused. He looked at Revan and she could feel him reach out with the Force.

"What?" she asked.

Yoda frowned and he looked at her closer. "Congratulations, to you and Naruto I give." The aged master said.

"The battle was nothing." Revan said with a dismissive wave her of her hand. "Battle Droids are nothing compared to Mandalorian warriors."

"The battle, I do not speak of. Nor of Naruto's duel with the bounty hunter or Sith warrior. Speak of child you carry, I do."

Revan blinked, and it took a moment for the words that Master Yoda spoke to register.

It didn't take as long with Naruto, as he let out a massive "WHOOP!" and picked her up around her hips and spun her around.

"PUT ME DOWN, YOU NEANDERTHAL!" Revan said, even as the smile was appearing on her face. Her hands were on her husband's shoulders.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon looked on. "Is that allowed, Master?"

Qui-Gon smirked. "Whether it is or isn't is irrelevant concerning those two."

Obi-Wan looked at his friend, and could feel his happiness in the Force.

XX

The sun was setting, and Naruto and Obi-Wan were kneeling before Yoda while Revan had gone to be checked out by the Queen's physician. Qui-Gon and the other masters stood in a circle around the pair.

"Confer unto you both the rank of Jedi Knight, this council does." Yoda said.

Obi-wan bowed his head as his Padawan braid was cut. Naruto blinked. "Whoa…wait, what? I wasn't even a Padawan!"

Qui-Gon smirked as Yoda made Naruto a Knight, the blonde sputtering excuses as the aged master chuckled. "_Revan's going to be surprised. Elated, but surprised."_He thought. But he'd made the recommendation after the evaluation of Naruto's abilities. And Qui-Gon told the masters that Naruto did use the Force along with his chakra abilities.

Yoda's chuckled filled the chamber as Naruto tried to haggle his way out of his Knighthood.

"Revan's gonna kill me!"

XX

_**The Theed Generator Room, The Lowest Level...**_

Darth Sidious looked at the remains of his apprentice. "Lord Maul has fallen." He muttered in disbelief. "Impossible. I trained him myself. With the level of skill those two Jedi possessed, there was no way they could have defeated him."

Pondering to himself, Sidious thought of another possibility. "_Maybe the Jedi didn't kill him...maybe it was that newcomer...the blonde one...the one called Naruto. I will have to keep an eye on him, for now."_

Shaking his cowl-covered head, the Sith Lord turned and proceeded to walk into the darkness. "It matters not. I already have my next apprentice, Darth Tyranus, and even if he falls, there are several more promising candidates that can be used until _HE_ is ready." The Sith Lord walked away, content to let the Jedi believe that they have won.

"They may have won a battle, but the war is far from lost."

XX

_**Republic Cruiser...**_

"Master..." Qui-Gon began as he sat with Yoda. The Namikaze's were in their quarters, their ship was in the hanger, and Obi-Wan was asleep in their quarters, his former Padawan still in shock over the revelation that Padme was the Queen, and that they had spoken to a double the whole time.

"_The Namikaze's weren't surprised, though. It was like they knew the whole time." _He thought.

"Troubled, your thoughts are?" Yoda asked looking away from the viewport.

"By several things, yes." Qui-Gon admitted. "The boy…Anakin."

Yoda nodded. "Troubled I am, how quickly he's been targeted. His mother's death, no accident it was."

"Shouldn't we take him in? He is strong in the Force-"

"Tried, we did. The Chancellor, refused he has. Young Anakin, nothing to do with us, he wants. According to the Chancellor, failed him we have."

Qui-Gon flinched as he recalled Revan and Naruto's attempts to talk to the boy. He would either walk away, or the Chancellor would call him over to help him with some random task.

"About the Supreme Chancellor, uneasy are you?" Yoda asked.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Something about him makes me wary. He feels…"

"More troubles your thoughts, I sense." Yoda said. They both knew not to speak of certain things outside the safety of the Temple. He was about to speak up, but Mace Windu beat him to the punch.

"There is no doubt now. The mysterious warrior was a Sith." Mace said as he joined them.

Yoda nodded in thought. "Always two, there are…no more…no less. A Master, and an apprentice."

Mace looked up "But which one was destroyed? The Master, or the apprentice?"

The three Jedi share a concerned look, as none of them could answer that question.

XX

_**Namikaze Quarters...**_

Revan smiled as she lay on her back, the lights in the room dim. Naruto had a hand on her stomach and was whispering words to their child. Behind him, she could see the stars thanks to the large viewport.

"Its not that big yet. I'm only a couple weeks along." She said, and Naruto looked up and gave her a goofy grin.

"I take it you're pleased?" Revan said, a bit of nervousness in her voice.

Naruto crawled up the bed to where he was hovering over her, resting on an elbow, his nose touching hers. "If we were in Konoha, I would be yelling it from the top of the Hokage Monument."

"If we were in Konoha, you'd paint it on the monument." Revan countered.

"True." He kissed her. "Parents…are we ready for this?" he asked.

"I am." Revan. Four thousand years, and she wondered if she could get pregnant. Naruto smiled and kissed her again. "The question we should be asking is, is the Jedi Temple ready for our children?"

Revan laughed, and it was a laugh Naruto knew well. She'd been his teacher, his friend, his partner, his lover, and then his wife. Now she was going to be mother to their children.

"Honey, the galaxy isn't ready for our children."

Naruto grinned. "Ninja-Jedi. I like the thought of that."

Revan pulled him into a kiss. Right now, despite the uncertainty of the future, currently all concerns were on hold as far as she was concerned.

They had all the time in the world.

**END OF EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE**

_**Okay, Episode 1 is FINISHED! Took me 3 days to get it to where I liked it, and my fingers are sore as hell. Anyone who does not approve will have their eyes gouged out with a rusty spoon!**_

_**No, seriously, I put all my effort into making this chapter as awesome as it could be, and I most definitely drew out the fights. Overall, I'm very happy with the way it came out. As to the question of the galaxy being ready for Naruto's children...it will never be ready...never. Despite the impending doom, we'll go with it anyway, and see just how long it takes for the galaxy to commit suicide, lol.**_

_**Regardless, I left the Obi/Padme relationship purely platonic for Episode 1, seeing as how Episode 2 is where it's supposed to get all hot and steamy. So, you can expect O/P lemons in Episode 2. I won't forget about our favorite duo, though, so Naru/Rev will get some screen time.**_

_**Lastly, I just want to note that this chapter was 23 pages long. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?**_

_**-This is Sgt. Assassin, signing out.**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: A New Threat**

_**A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...**_

**Star Wars**

**Episode II: Attack Of The Clones**

_**Ten years have passed…**_

_**There is unrest in the Galactic**_

_**Senate. Several thousand solar**_

_**systems have declared their**_

_**intentions to leave the Republic.**_

_**This separatist movement,**_

_**under the leadership of the**_

_**mysterious Count Dooku, has**_

_**made it difficult for the limited**_

_**number of Jedi Knights to**_

_**maintain peace and order in**_

_**the galaxy.**_

_**Senator Amidala, the former**_

_**Queen of Naboo, is returning**_

_**to the Galactic Senate to vote**_

_**on the critical issue of creating**_

_**an ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC**_

_**to assist the overwhelmed**_

_**Jedi...**_

_**En Route to Coruscant...**_

"This is a bad idea."

Naruto grinned as he checked the controls. "You think everything is a bad idea."

"And I'm usually right. But making the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs is not my idea of safety." Obi-Wan Kenobi retorted, his beard unable to hide his grin.

"Bah, you get to be right a couple of times, and you think you're the greatest Jedi around." Naruto teased his friend.

"Eager to be back home?" Obi-Wan asked. He stayed well and clear from the controls, as this was Naruto and Revan's ship. The last ten years had seen a lot of upgrades to the now forty-ish freighter, many of which Obi-Wan knew the council wouldn't approve of.

Revan snorted when he said that.

"I want to survive encounters, not be a statistic on the council's shelves."

Naruto chuckled, "Sorry if I seemed so pushy to leave."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "You miss your family, is all. Perfectly understandable."

Naruto pulled out a heart-shaped pendant he always wore now, and thumbed the switch. It was a recording of pictures of his wife and three children.

"_Three. Kami, I thought she was going to kill me when the twins were born, but two years later along came our little princess."_

The twins were ten, and his little princess was eight. Naruto, of course, had sung his praises atop the Jedi Temple, much to the displeasure of many of the masters, and to the amusement of Master Yoda.

Naruto smiled at his wife and his eyes took in the appearance of their children. "_Kami, was I ever that much of a handful. I owe Ojii-san and Iruka-sensei a huge apology." _Naruto thought. All three of his children at the young age of nine months were able to use the Force. "_I still think it was a riot when the twins levitated 'Uncle Ben'. The resulting fall out of a two-story window, however...not so much."_

"They are going to be a handful for whatever Master takes them." Obi-Wan said with a rueful shake of his head.

"Good thing I know your up for it." Naruto said his attention turning towards navigating the Falcon through the hyperspace lanes.

"Yes, I think…wait, WHAT?"

Naruto laughed as Obi-Wan caught what he said and his mind scratched like a record.

"Naruto…I…"

"Rev and I talked about it. You're the only one we'd trust to work with the twins. You know they can't be separated."

Obi-Wan nodded as he recalled previous attempts by the council to separate the Namikaze twins. It backfired every time in spectacular fashion involving paint, explosive devices, and like their father, the washing machine.

"Master Ko'munda is still jumping every time the twins run around the temple."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, and the only person who is allowed in the laundry room is Revan, now. That was when they were five. Pesonally, I thought the rainbow-colored robes did wonders on brightening up Master Windu's sour demeanor."

Obi-Wan chuckled remembering the vivid look on Mace's face. "I swear, he was about to gut you with his saber until he learned it was their fault. Then he simply made them scrub the Temple for the next week."

Naruto smiled. "Heck, before I came on this mission with you, they had HK in pieces and scattered around the living room. I thought Revan was going to kill them."

Ben shuddered. HK had become the personal nanny/bodyguard to the children. He recalled one time one of the politicians had tried to pick up one of the children. Mere seconds later, HK-47's assault rifle and shuriken launcher had the poor politician cowering under his desk, multiple blaster burns and shuriken littering the desk. He heard the Bothan was now living in solace on an isolated section of Bothowui.

"You do know that Master Yoda laughs every time they do something."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I never knew Master Yoda had such a…twisted sense of humor."

The Millennium Falcon jumped out of hyperspace. "We're on final approach…hey, isn't that a Naboo Senatorial Ship?"

Obi-Wan's head snapped around, and Naruto fought not to laugh as Obi-Wan's eyes landed on the large craft on approach guarded by three N-1 Naboo Starfighters.

"You think your girlfriend is aboard?"

Naruto did laugh this time, as Obi-wan choked and snapped his head around to look at him.

"She is not my-"

"Explain it to me, then, all those dinners every time the two of you are on the same world. Or that show she took you to last time you were both on Coruscant."

"We're just friends." Obi-Wan denied.

"You know, I used to be called dense when I was young. Do you want me to speak to her on your behalf?"

"Please don't." Obi-Wan groaned.

Naruto sighed. "You need to make a move, Ben. Sooner or later, someone's going to get close to her, and then you'll-"

"Can we forgo the lecture this time?" Obi-Wan said.

Naruto nodded as they followed the Naboo cruiser in. "Send in our flight plan. We'll provide escort."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Coruscant Planetary Control, this is the Millennium Falcon. We're inbound and providing additional escort for the Naboo Senatorial Ship."

He transmitted the codes, and leaned back in his seat.

"You know how much trouble we could get in for this, right?"

Naruto shrugged. "You only live once."

The followed, swooping in behind the N-1's and Naruto sent a message to the Naboo fighters flying escort. "This is the Millennium Falcon to Naboo escort, mind if we join the party?"

"Millennium Falcon?" a male voice came back. "Is that you, Namikaze, sir?"

Naruto blinked and smiled as he recognized the voice.

"Typho? How's your father?"

A chuckle came back. "He's hating retirement. Follow in, you can take the high seat."

"Copy that." Naruto replied, maneuvering the Falcon with the same ease as his wife. Granted she wouldn't have let him fly the ship unless she was certain of his flying abilities.

As if picking up his thoughts, Obi-Wan chuckled. "She treats the ship and your droids as her own children."

Naruto nodded. He missed Bob, but the droid had been surrendered to be studied, since the Trade Federation had pulled both their droids and specs from the market.

They slipped through the traffic and arrived at the landing bay, the N-1 fighters landing on the adjacent pads as the Senatorial Ship slowly descended, its' landing struts groaning slightly as it docked.

Naruto landed the Falcon on the fourth pad, turning to say something before his danger senses pinged.

Naruto looked at Obi-Wan. "You feel that?" The bearded Jedi Knight nodded.

"Typho." Naruto said hitting the comm button. "There's-"

He didn't get any further as the silver cruiser erupted in a huge fireball, the Senator, her handmaiden, and 6 guards disappearing in the maw of the fire.

"PADME!" Obi-Wan yelled as the landing platform around the cruiser was engulfed in flame.

XX

Naruto was right behind Obi-Wan as he lowered the ramp and leapt across to the Naboo platform.

Naruto arrived and took stock of the carnage. Three explosions had rocked the platform, one being the bomb that had been placed in the exitway, to ensure that anyone exiting the ship while the explosion took place would be caught in the blast. The other two explosions were the engines giving out, the original explosion causing a cascade reaction and detonating the fuselages of the engines, tearing the wings from the body of the ship.

Naruto looked over, and saw a pilot kneeling by the fallen Senator. Watching the unknown individual take off their helmet, he sighed in a small amount of relief.

Obi-wan stopped steps away, as Padme said farewell to her cousin who had given her life to act as a decoy.

"Corde..." Padme began.

"My Lady...I'm so sorry...I failed you, Senator..."

Padme shook her head. "No.."

Corde's eyes closed, and her head slumped to the side.

"Typho, get her to the Falcon." Naruto ordered as he scanned the area. "Ben!" he saw the relief in the other Jedi's eyes. "Take the Falcon and the others to the Temple. I'll deal with this."

Obi-Wan looked about to argue, but he looked over to where Typho was escorting Padme up the ramp, the distraught apparent in her eyes, and nodded.

"Tell Revan what's happened here." He said before the bearded Jedi was gone. Naruto scowled at how long it was taking the fire crews to respond. "Stinks worse than a Hutt." He muttered.

XX

(Jedi Temple)

Obi-wan sighed as he landed the ship. "_I hate flying." _He thought, and was glad when the landing struts connected with permacrete and he began powering the ship down. He headed to the back and saw Padme pulling herself together and went to lower the ramp. He got to the bottom just in time to catch twin ten-year-olds.

"UNCLE BEN!" Anko and Haku yelled as he held them.

"You're getting too big for this girls." He groaned as he lowered them to the ground.

"Where's daddy?"

Obi-Wan licked his lips. "There was a...situation that he needed to take care of. Where's your mother?" he asked.

"With Kushina." Anko said. Obi-Wan shook his head as he saw Revan walking with Kushina at a slower pace.

"What did you do to my ship, Kenobi?"

He held up a hand. "Nothing. Your husband had me fly the short distance here from the Naboo landing pad."

She nodded. "Its on all the holo-nets." She said and paused. "Padme."

The Senator from Naboo was coming down the ramp and stopped. "Master Revan…"

The female Jedi Master walked forward and pulled the younger woman into a hug. Padme promptly broke down in blubbering hysterics.

"Shhh. Corde did her job in keeping you safe. Don't throw her sacrifice away." She looked at Typho. "We'll inform the Senate she's safe."

Padme wept for the loss of another person she knew. Revan passed her to Obi-Wan, who looked shocked as the Senator buried her face into his robes. "Anko, Haku take Kushina to the practice room. You have lessons with Master Windu."

"But mom!" three voices complained.

"March!"

They left protesting. Revan shook her head at how similar her Anko was to the one they knew on Konoha. "_I think the Force is playing games with us...again." s_he thought.

"I will inform the Council." Obi-Wan replied.

Revan thought about it, then nodded. "Very well, but take Typho and Padme with you. They should be meeting with the Supreme Chancellor in his office."

Obi-Wan nodded, and led the others back to the Falcon. He was holding the Senator, but he didn't notice the way she seemingly clung to him, nor the way she tried to keep her body as close to his as possible.

Typho, for his part, looked anywhere but the pair, his smile hidden as he looked away.

XX

Naruto was tired when he got the message from Master Yoda to meet them at the Supreme Chancellor's office.

He took a hovertaxi and made his way to the office. He was exiting the lift when he came face-to-face with a person he'd barely seen in the last ten years.

"Anakin."

"Namikaze." The nineteen year old looked at him and Naruto felt the anger in the youth. "_What has happened to you Anakin? Why this rage at us?" _He thought as the two stared at one another.

(Supreme Chancellor's Office)

"We are saddened to hear about the death of Senator Amidala." Palpatine said with a heavy heart. "She will be missed. I always held her in the highest regards. Such a tragedy."

"Dead she is not, Chancellor." Yoda replied. He, along with Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Ki-Adi Mundi, Luminara, and Kit Fisto are arrayed around the Chancellor's office. "Her bodyguards and decoy, died in the explosion, they did. Safe, the Senator is."

"How fortunate. We are most pleased to hear of her survival." Palpatine said, and Yoda and Mace shared a look.

They heard voices and turned to see Anakin Skywalker enter followed by Naruto.

"Ah, Anakin." Palpatine said. "Are those the newest secession reports?"

"Yes they are, Chancellor." Anakin said, putting them on the desk. "Also you have a meeting with the representative from-"

"Ah yes, the Rigel delegate." The Chancellor said. "Thank you, Anakin."

Anakin nodded and stood at the Chancellor's side. Palpatine regarded the Jedi. "I am happy to hear the Senator from Naboo is safe. Would you give her my condolences on her devastating losses?"

Yoda nodded. "Inform her, we shall."

Palpatine nodded. "Now, as for these reports that I just received. I don't know how much longer I can hold off the vote, my friends. More and more star systems have been growing disgruntled with the Republic, and are joining the Separatists."

Mace acknowledged the Senator. "If they DO break away-"

Palpatine interrupted. "I will NOT let this Republic that has stood for a thousand years be torn in two. My negotiations...will not fail."

Mace leaned forward. "If they do, you must realize there aren't enough Jedi to protect the Republic. We are the Keepers of the Peace, not soldiers."

Yoda seemed deep in thought as Palpatine turned to him. "Master Yoda, do you really think it will come to war?"

Yoda shook his head. "The Dark Side...clouds _everything_. Impossible to see, the future is."

A hologram of a Rodian delegate appeared on the Chancellor's desk, and proceeded to converse with the Chancellor.

"Good...very well...yes, yes of course. Send them in."

The hologram disappeared, and members of the Senate walked into the office, among them Senator Amidala and Obi-Wan. "We will discuss this matter later."

Yoda nodded. "Good day to you, Chancellor."

"And to you as well, Master Yoda." replied the Chancellor, a smile on his face.

Yoda left his chair and greeted Padme. "Senator Amidala, your tragedy on the landing platform...terrible. Seeing you alive...brings warm feelings to my heart."

"Do you have any idea who was behind this attack?" asked Padme.

Mace was the one who responded. "Our intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners on the moons of Naboo."

Naruto scoffed softly. "Disgruntled spice miners, my foot."

As Obi-Wan looked on, Padme fully regained her composure. "I think Count Dooku was behind it."

Ki-Adi Mundi looked at her with something akin to disbelief. "He is a political idealist, not a murderer."

Mace nodded. "You know, My Lady, Count Dooku was a former Jedi. He couldn't assassinate _anyone_. It's not in his character."

Yoda hummed. "But, for certain Senator, in _grave danger_ you are."

Palpatine interrupted, looking out the window of his office as Anakin's eyes wandered over Padme, giving Obi-Wan a very uncomfortable feeling. "Master Jedi, might I suggest the Senator be placed under the protection of your graces?"

Senator Organa, the delegate of Alderaan, stepped forward from the crowd of Senators. "Are you sure that is a wise decision considering these stressful times?"

"Chancellor, if I may comment, I do not believe-" Padme began.

"-that the situation is that serious? Oh, but I do, Senator." Palpatine countered, turning and walking towards the group. "I realize all too well that additional security might be disruptive for you."

Palpatine shrugged as he reached his desk. "But...perhaps someone you are familiar with...an old friend, like Anakin, here." Palpatine gestured towards Anakin, who merely smirked.

Obi-Wan stepped forward, about to protest, but Naruto beat him to it. "Actually...I was thinking someone she would have complete faith in. Say, Obi-Wan, for example."

Palpatine raised an eyebrow, before a smile came on his face, despite the glowering look that was sent Naruto's way. "Why not? Master Kenobi certainly is qualified, after all."

Mace nodded his head. "That is possible. Naruto and Obi-Wan just returned from a border dispute on Antion, after all."

As Obi-Wan looked on in mild surprise, Naruto turned to him and winked.

Palpatine looked sorrowfully at Padme. "Do it for me, Milady, please. The thought of losing you...is unbearable."

Padme seemed resigned to the decision, so Mace jestured for Obi-Wan to step forward. "She is under your care now, Kenobi. See to it that no harm comes to her."

Obi-Wan nodded, looking at Padme as she gave him a small smile. "Of course, Master. No harm will come to her. I promise."

Padme smiled at Mace. "Thank you, Master Windu." She then turned to Naruto. "And to you, as well, Master Namikaze."

"Bah, just call me Naruto. We've known each other for years, there's no need for formalites."

Obi-Wan smirked, before taking Padme's hand. "Well, shall we get you back to your quarters?"

Padme blushed, but tried to hide it. "O-of course. Lead the way."

Obi-Wan left with Padme, and Naruto's grin could have lit up the darkest of nights. "_Blackmail, blackmail, blackmail...oh crap, I almost forgot!"_

As the Jedi proceed to leave, Naruto joined them. "Sorry I took so long." He said falling in step with Yoda and Mace. "I tried to find footage of the landing pad, but it seemed that all the cameras were disabled prior to the bombing."

"Strange, it is, that surveillance footage would be disabled." Yoda agreed.

"There were no landing crew to be found. I've got Knight Soonis looking into it, but I doubt we'll find anything." Naruto said.

Yoda nodded as they took the lift. "Young Skywalker, still hostile is he?"

Naruto sighed and nodded. "He believes that if Revan and I would have been there, his mother would still be alive."

Mace shook his head. "There's more than that. His anger is burning as hot, if not hotter than it was ten years ago."

"Rev and I have kept an eye on him when we can. He's currently working for the Chancellor, and has been off-world many times performing 'errands'. When he's on Coruscant, he's the Supreme Chancellor's aide."

Mace rubbed his chin. "There's more, but the Dark Side makes it harder to see what."

"Revan had all the reports on Shmi Skywalker's death sent to the Temple. She's trying to find who did it, but her contacts are coming up with very little."

Naruto knew Mace and many on the Council didn't like Revan's contacts, but Yoda had chuckled and Naruto heard him muttering about 'doing worse in his youth'.

Naruto relaxed as they took the shuttle to the Temple. He just knew Revan was going to yell at him for letting Ben fly the Falcon, but right now, he was too tired to care.

"Rest for now, you should. Tomorrow, your report you may give. New task, the Council will have for you afterwards." Yoda said as they left the shuttle.

Naruto nodded. He wanted to spend the next several days with his wife and children, but he had a feeling the job would revolve around a certain Senator and her 'lost puppy' Jedi companion. He headed towards the rooms that had been given to him and his family.

XX

He was just in the doorway when he was impacted by a red-haired missile. "DADDY!"

He smiled as his arms went around his eight-year-old daughter. "Hello little one." He kissed her forehead and turned to see his wife coming from the other room. The look of relief in her eyes was replaced by one of annoyance. "You let Ben fly my ship."

"Our ship." Naruto said and Revan brow twitched. "Dear..."

"Did you bring me a present, daddy?" Kushina asked.

"Yes I did. It's on the ship, I'll get it for you in the morning."

She nodded and hugged her father.

"Where are the twins?" he asked, hoping to stall his wife's temper. He saw her sigh. "They are with Master Fisto. Your darling children roped him into saber practice. I swear, the Master's are more childish at times than our children."

Naruto grinned and rubbed noses with Kushina. "It's because we're awesome Ninja-Jedi. Aren't we, princess?"

"Yes, daddy." Kushina said with a giggle.

Revan sighed. "You're lucky I love you, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze."

She moved in and he put an arm around her and Kushina put an arm around her mother's neck. Revan was at peace being able to bask in the warmth of her family.

"Now, tell daddy he's not to let Uncle Ben fly mommy's ship again."

Kushina repeated it, and Naruto sighed. "Can't win with such beauties, can I?"

"Nope." Revan said.

"Nope." Kushina parroted.

"Alright sprog, go pick on HK." Naruto said as he put her down. She cheered and rushed off.

"You did manage to put him back together again, didn't you?"

Revan nodded. "He was not happy, and called them annoying little meatbags."

Naruto chuckled. "He loves them, simply because all the chaos they cause in their wake."

Revan smiled as Naruto wrapped both arms around her and kissed her. For this moment, the galaxy could do without them.

XX

_**The Lift Leading to Padme's Room...**_

Obi-Wan was nervous. Next to him was Revan and Naruto. He'd arrived at the Namikaze's to find them awake and the children with Shaak Ti. The Jedi Knight smiled, as she loved working with the Namikaze children.

As they left, Revan once again reminded the Torgunta of her children's devious nature. "HK is here for security, and please, _please_ don't let the children convince you they can take him apart...again."

Now they were heading to the Naboo Consulate. The Senator had left early on in the meeting, and Revan was planning on scolding the younger woman about her recklessness.

"And you let her leave?" Revan asked Obi-Wan incredulously.

"I couldn't very well keep her against her will." The bearded Jedi protested. Revan always made him feel like an idiot when she scolded him.

Naruto yawned and sighed. "Ben, there are times where I swear you're more clueless than I am."

Revan was tapping her foot as the lift climbed the building. Once the doors opened, she stormed out and was met by Captain Typho.

"Lady Namikaze." He greeted, before seeing the look in her eyes. He winced. "I-"

"I know. Where is she?" Revan said, cutting him off. She reached out with the Force and headed for a pair of doors.

Typho began to protest. "Lady Revan-"

Naruto shook his head. "Safer to stay back Captain." He warned the younger man, patting him on the shoulder as he passed. "You'll reach retirement age in seconds if you don't."

Revan threw open the double doors and Naruto heard her begin scolding Padme.

He shot a glance at Ben. "Looking at your girlfriend in her nightie?"

Obi-Wan blushed and turned away. He began speaking rapidly with Typho about the security of the building as Naruto snickered.

Naruto turned at the sound of a door opening. He saw several more guards and-

"Oh, fuck no. Not him. NOT NOW!" Naruto moaned, causing Obi-Wan's eyebrow to raise.

"What are you on about?" Obi-Wan queried.

"Never mind the small shit, Ben. I need to get out of here before-"

"NARU!"

"Aw, fuck-nuts..."

Turning around, Naruto put on his best fake smile. "Jar Jar...so good to see you." Naruto gritted out, nearly choking on the words.

The Gungan had been at the Theed Palace several times as an envoy between the Gungans and the Naboo. For some reason beyond Naruto's understanding, the creature kept trying to be his friend, despite the fact that their first encounter was christened wit Naruto drilling him across a lake into a sandbank with a low-powered Rasengan.

"Messa happy to see youse!" Jar Jar said, stumbling over his own feet to greet Naruto with a hug.

Groaning, Naruto accepted the hug, glaring daggers at Obi-Wan as he did his best to not burst into laughter.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto after the Gungan released him.

"Meesa be helpin' Padme!" Jar Jar said excitedly.

He looked over his shoulder to see Obi-Wan looking away with a smirk.

"_You knew he was here. And after I vouched for you in front of the whole Council AND Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Oh, Ben you are so dead." _Naruto thought as he continued speaking with the Gungan.

Ten minutes later, Revan rejoined them with a flustered looking Padme, dressed in her senatorial robes.

"Master Naruto." She said in greeting. "Thank you for your aid yesterday…I-"

"Now, now Padme. You know better to use titles with me."

She smiled and nodded. "Right, Naruto."

Her eyes drifted from Naruto to Obi-Wan. Neither said a word, but the Namikazes saw 'underneath the underneath', and after a shared look and eye roll, Revan spoke up. "Since you left the Jedi Temple in the middle of the night, we are here to provide security for you."

"That's nonsense. I'm sure there are other matters that require your attention."

Naruto snorted. "No political word plays either, young lady."

Typho coughed. "I'll show you the security room." Naruto nodded, and left with him.

As they were walking, Typho looked at Naruto. "You'd think after ten years they would sort it out." Typho said in a joking manner.

Naruto looked at the captain. "Panaka talks too much." Naruto said.

"He's retired, what do you expect?"

"For him to develop a hobby." Naruto said.

"He's worried about her. He keeps his eyes open and an open com-link just in case." Tyhpo said.

"So, any clue who would take a pot-shot at our lovely senator?"

"There is a list. Nute Gunray for one, but the one that's topped the list is a man called Dooku."

Naruto stopped and looked at the captain of Padme's security. "Count Dooku?"

Typho nodded. "You know him?"

"Yes. He's a former Jedi. He left the Order about eight years ago." Naruto and Revan didn't like the man. The other Jedi swore up and down about him, though, including Mace and Qui-Gon. "_Ben said he was Qui-Gon's former master."_But the man had issues, and Revan said she got that 'hair on the back of her neck' feeling about him whenever he would "visit" to see the Namikaze children.

"_Revan had ordered HK to shoot the man if he tried anything." _thought Naruto.

Yoda had listened to both Revan and Naruto's feelings about the matter, and spoke with Dooku himself to keep his distance. Soon after that he left the Temple, and that was the last they heard of him.

"Funny thing is...the Chancellor's office had sent a report that it was spice miners from one of the moons in the Naboo system."

Typho shook his head. "We've cleared most of them out. Thanks to Lady Revan, we managed to salvage the droids left behind from the Battle of Naboo, and turn them into a defensive force."

Of course they had been repainted, and a few more features had been added in order to make them more durable. The control cluster was deep in the palace.

"Rev loves to tinker. I think she spent a century as a droid dealer." Naruto admitted.

Typho always gave the Namikazes questionable looks when they spoke of being older than they looked.

For the next twenty minutes, Naruto looked at the systems. He left Typho to find Revan and smiled. "Where are Ben and Padme?"

Revan gestured to the side room, where the pair were talking while playing holo-chess.

"How boring." Naruto muttered as he held his wife from behind.

"I remember many nights spent teaching you to play several games." She said, leaning against him. She turned and kissed his jaw. "And you didn't complain then."

Naruto snorted. "Complain when losing to such a beautiful woman? I was dense, but I wasn't dead."

Revan smiled. "Give them time."

"It's been ten years, hime." Naruto whined.

She smiled. "Obi-Wan was raised in the temple. It's a slow change. Besides, she likes him."

"Did she tell you that?" Naruto asked.

"Not in as many words. Feel." She said and Naruto closed his eyes, listening to the Force. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"No teasing them." Revan said.

Naruto pouted. "Fine. I'm gonna call the Temple. Check on the girls." He said.

"I'll come with you. Poor Shaak Ti is probably at the end of her patience."

"They ARE our children." Naruto said.

XX

The comlink hissed a bit before connecting, sounds of mayhem and distruction echoing over the link.

"Relieved Statement: Mistress, thank carnage you've called!" HK answered the call. "Desperate Inquiry: Are you and Master returning soon?"

The Namikazes swore they heard an edge of desperation in the assassin droid's voice processor.

"Not yet, HK. Is Knight Ti there?" Revan asked.

"Negative Response: If only, Mistress. Disgruntled Statement: The spineless meat sack was summoned by the Council." HK responded.

"But…"

"Side Note: The tadpole is present, and is occupying the little mons-children."

Revan sighed. "Master Yoda?"

"Affirmative Statement: Yes, Mistress."

HK remained quiet, so Revan sighed. "Would you let him know I'd like to speak with him, then?"

"Affirmative Statement: Of course, Mistress." She heard HK leaving the communications device and heard him muttering about the degradation of going from the greatest assassination droid in the galaxy to wet-nurse. She didn't catch the rest of it, but she hoped he didn't use that language around the children.

The pitter-patter of feet was followed by a triple chorus of "MOMMY!", and she smiled. "Hello, my little angels. I thought Master Yoda was watching you."

"Watching, I am." A voice came back, and Revan could only imagine the aged master with her three little hellraisers.

"I am sorry Master. I had thought Shaak Ti had no duties at present." Revan said.

"For Knight Ti, a mission required of her. Sent her to investigate the attack on the Senator, the Council did."

Revan cursed. "Is there anything else I should know, Master?"

"The children, fine they are. Safe, I will keep them." Yoda said.

Revan smiled. "But who will keep you safe Master?"

Naruto smiled, hearing the chuckle from Yoda. "Nine hundred years, raised Jedi, I have. Fine, we shall be. Worry not, you should."

Revan thanked him and, with Naruto, spoke to the children for a while.

Naruto promised to bring them each something when they were done with their mission.

"And remember you three, don't slack off on your training. I left a scroll for Shaak Ti to oversee, but Master Yoda can do it as well." He said.

"Dad." Anko's voice came over.

"Yes, Anko sweety?"

"Is Aunt Padme okay? She was upset the other night, and mom wouldn't let us visit her."

The parents exchanged a look. "She's fine Anko. She lost her cousin, so that is why she's upset."

"Will you be back soon?" Haku asked.

"As soon as we can." Revan said.

"Can we come with?" Kushina asked.

"No." both parents replied. Anko and Haku would be given to a master soon, and they knew Obi-Wan was going to have his hands full. Kushina, thankfully, had a couple more years before they had to worry about her being out in the galaxy.

"Now, remember to brush your teeth before bed and listen to Master Yoda." Revan said.

"We will." Three voices chorused.

"Master…"

"May the Force be with you." Yoda said and the com-link shut down.

_**Jedi Temple, Namikaze Apartment...**_

Yoda looked around and reached out with the Force. With a sigh, he summoned his hover chair and went looking for the three wayward children that had moments ago been speaking with their parents.

"HK, seen the children, have you?" Yoda inquired. When no reply was forthcoming, he turned and blinked, finding the droid, along with the three children, missing.

"Not good, this is. Have a bad feeling, I do." The aged Jedi master said as he left the Namikaze apartments.

XX

Yoda didn't have trouble finding the three children and droid. For wherever they went, chaos was soon to ensue.

He entered the training room to view an amusing sight. The training room had taken on the appearance of pure destruction. If he hadn't known better, Yoda would have assumed someone had been messing around with a thermal detonator

"Master Yoda." Cin Drallig greeted, as he was straightening his tunic. The weapons master's face was covered in soot. Amongst the carnage, his nervous face seemed almost comical as he was surrounded by bulldozed training dummies, scattered training sabers and vibrostaffs, and the weapon rack...rather, the pieces of said training rack, as it had apparently exploded in a shower of wooden chunks and splinters, leaving a pair of rugged stumps left as a memorial to the fallen furniture.

"Master Yoda...I..."

"Inquire to what happened, I will not." Yoda said. "Which way they went, I need to know."

Cin looked down for a moment as he palmed his face, then pointed. "That way."

Yoda left while Cin Drallig went to find someone to help repair the training room.

XX

Yoda's next stop was the meditation hall. He frowned at what looked like a massive pillow fight had taken place, as there wasn't a cushion left untouched. Feathers continued to float in the air, and several of the Knights looked rather guilty when they saw his entrance.

Yoda's eyes came to rest on the chuckling form of Qui-Gon Jinn who, since Obi-Wan had made Knight, had spent more time in the Temple working with the younglings.

"Good day, Master Yoda. What brings you into our humble presence?" Qui-Gon asked. The last ten years had aged him, and despite being in his seventies, he carried himself like a man still in his forties.

"Master Qui-Gon. Three strays, I have come for." Yoda said.

Qui-Gon smirked. "Lost three wee ones, have you?" He said and Yoda knew his friend was going to tease him for this later.

"I think they were heading to the Hall of a Thousand Fountains." He began and Yoda's eyes widened at this.

"Now I need to see housekeeping, and see if we can get the meditation mats and cushions replaced."

Qui-Gon hurried away, but Yoda heard his chortle and knew he was in for a long day.

XX

"Come on Kushina. Hurry up." Anko said as the three children continued to avoid getting caught by the elderly Jedi.

"HK, come on." The youngest of the Namikaze children said as she tugged on the droid's arm.

"Statement: Mistress will not approve of your actions." The assassin droid began. "Correction: However, Master will find the ensuing chaos hilarious."

Haku and Anko shared a look. While their mother was the stricter of the two, their father would encourage them to do almost anything in the name of learning (and as long as no one was hurt).

"I say we get a speeder." Anko said.

Haku shook her head. "Mom and dad both said we can't fly a speeder until we're Padawans. Then dad said it's Uncle Ben's problem."

Anko gave her sister a grin. "But that hasn't stopped either of them from showing us how to pilot one, has it?"

Haku had to agree. Both parents taught them how to pilot, and in their mother's case, work on and maintain numerous craft, both telling the kids, "Don't tell your mother/father we're doing this."

Which was followed by a wink and a new lesson in something useful, or in their father's case, a new jutsu or a trip to Dex's Diner for ramen. Their father said it was, "The closest thing to it in the galaxy."

Kushina sighed as she listened to her older sisters talk, and looked at the assassin droid that was with her. "HK, you and daddy take on some missions right?"

"Affirmative Statement: Master and I do a lot of bounty hunting work as well as-"

"That's great, HK." Kushina said cutting the droid off. "What if we wanted you to take us on a mission with you?"

HK took a micro-second to ponder the question.

"Statement: We would need to leave the Temple." HK finally admitted.

Kushina turned to her sisters. "You heard HK. We'll take a speeder."

Haku hesitated, while Anko sported a grin that matched her fathers. Whenever the blond was about to do something that would either be funny (or get him in a ton of trouble), Naruto's trademark grin would always appear on his face. All three girls had inherited the grin, and the Jedi in the Temple usually ran the opposite direction whenever they saw it.

"Temple Hanger, it is." Anko said before turning a corner.

XX

Elsewhere in the temple, Master Yoda nearly fell off his hover chair as a shiver shot its' way up his spine.

"Much teasing I will receive, from Naruto and Revan. Never forget this, I fear they will."

XX

_**Naboo Consulate...**_

"Why aren't you with the senator?" Naruto asked Obi-Wan.

"She went to bed." He replied.

Naruto frowned, and went over to the bank of monitors.

"She's covered the camera." He said.

"She said she didn't want us watching her sleep." Obi-wan said. "She took her Artoo unit in with her, though."

Naruto remembered the spunky little droid that had saved the ship while under fire, and allowed them to escape Naboo and run the Trade Federation's blockade.

Revan entered and looked at the monitor, a frown immediately appearing on her face.

"I'm going to box that girl's ears." She said, making an abrupt 180 and heading for the Senator's room.

"C'mon, Revan. I'm sure she's-" Obi-Wan began, before all three Jedi ground to a halt.

"You feel that?" Revan asked.

"Trouble." Obi-Wan said. Before he could blink, Naruto vanished with a shunshin.

XX

Inside the senator's quarters, Padme was fast asleep. R2, the ever-trusty astromech droid, keeping a vigilant watch-wait, that's not quite correct.

Seeing that there was no danger apparent, R2 had powered down, and was only using his perimeter sensors, in case anyone or anything tried to enter the room.

Outside the window, an ASN courier droid had just slowed to a stop. Turning, it used an energy destabilizer, disposing of the force field protecting the quarters with ease. Thrusting its' tube-like opening forward and into the window, two Kouhun insects, known throughout the galaxy for their poisonous nature and their preference with assassins, skittered from the tube and into the room.

Landing on the floor, the two insects immediately headed for the senator's bed and proceeded to scale the covers. They froze, however, when R2's motion detectors alerted the droid to a presence in the room.

Lighting up the room, R2 scanned the surfaces and walls of the bedroom, his beam flashing over the surrounding area before concluding nothing was amiss, and went back to standby.

As soon as the droid had powered back down, the Kouhuns started up again, moving from their hiding spots and getting closer to the senator.

Padme was sound asleep when she was startled awake by the _SNAP-HISS_ of a lightsaber. She felt a weight land on the bed, and opened her eyes to see Naruto with a lightsaber in hand decapitate two centipede like creatures that had been inches from her chest and head.

Artoo came awake and was scanning the room. The domed head turned towards the window, where the delivery droid was hovering. The mission foiled, the droid began to back away from the window.

"Oh no, you don't." Naruto said as he deactivated his lightsaber, his muscles tightening in preparation for a leap.

Obi-Wan, however, beat him to the punch and crashed through the window, making a flying grab for the droid and managing to catch its' wings. The droid gave a shriek and took off, with Obi-Wan hanging on for dear life beneath it.

"Damnit, Ben…" Naruto swore, watching them go. "I wanted to do that. You get all the fun stuff."

Revan smacked him on the arm. "Baka, this is no time to pout. Get a speeder and follow the idiot." She turned and looked at the guards.

"Take the Senator to the safe room. Do not open it until we return." she said, even as Naruto was leaping out the already destroyed window, using his Futon chakra to help him glide towards the parking area.

Typho didn't get a chance to question her, though, as Revan's hand blurred through a series of hand seals she learned a while back. She leapt out the window, falling several stories before a puff of smoke broke her fall. Clearing away, the smoke revealed a massive, speeder-sized raven.

Turning its' head, the summon regarded Revan with a rather sleepy look. "Follow that droid." She ordered.

Nodding its' head, the bird beat its' massive wings and took off.

As Typho was escorting the dazed senator to the safe room, he managed to catch a glimpse of the large bird speeding off into the midnight Coruscant traffic.

"...What the hell was that?" he asked. The guards that had entered the room prior to its' appearance shook their heads in disbelief.

Two poisonous Kouhun insects lay dead on the floor, bisected in half by Naruto's saber. Along with the broken window, they were the only testaments to a recent assassination attempt on a young senator's life.

XX

Naruto reached ground-level, landing without a sound and scurrying through the lot.

"_Color, color, color, co-BINGO!"_

Naruto grinned, leaping into an air speeder and slamming the ignition switch, jerking the steering wheel up and back, then forward violently. The speeder roared to life, levitating and backing up quickly, before jerking violently and shooting forward, the engine whining in protest at being treated so harshly.

He looked up to see his wife riding atop one of her ravens, the summon slipping in and out through traffic with ease, stunned passerby's only able to gape and stare in disbelief at the large bird-like creature whipping its' way through heavy traffic.

"_Heh, that definitely takes me back. When Revan decided she wanted the Raven Contract, she tore up Itachi's quarters in the Akatsuki base in order to find it. When she learned that Sasuke had taken possession of it, she went about tearing up his place, too. Although I must say, when she finally signed it, the Boss Raven was more than happy to let her do it."_

"_Heh, it's kinda like me and Gamabunta now. Or is it Gamakichi? I can't remember if Bunta retired yet or not." _Naruto thought. Flying headlong into traffic, Naruto wove the speeder through several close calls as he attempted to catch up to the wayward droid and his dear misguided friend.

As he brought the speeder out of one lane of traffic, he spotted them. Obi-Wan and his droid were veering into even busier traffic, with the droid doing its' darndest to knock the Jedi off its' tail...literally.

"_Ah, crap. This is not good. If Ben gets knocked off, I'm going to have a hard time explaining the situation to Qui-Gon." _Naruto mentally cursed. "_Plus, we need that droid, or at the very least, we need to see where it goes."_ Naruto admitted that Obi-Wan was doing very well holding onto the droid, almost as if his life depended on it...which it did.

Both Naruto and Revan were coming around a sharp turn and Naruto slammed on the brakes as he nearly collided with another speeder. He was about to shoot away...until he took a second glance.

His head whipped around so fast, he nearly collided with a nearby transport ship.

"I...wait...they...What the HELL are HK and the kids doing out of the Temple?"

Naruto groaned and cued his comlink. "_I'm getting too old for this bullshit..."_

"Rev, honey."

"Busy." came the reply.

"Well, I'm sorry to bother you, dear. I know that what we are doing is very important right now, but I just figured that I should tell you that, well, our children decided they were bored, and went out for a little joyride. That's all. Sorry to bother you." Naruto quipped, before closing the comlink.

Not three seconds later did his comlink chirp back at him again. Naruto shook his head and picked it up.

"Hello, this is Naruto Namikaze speaking. I am not available at the moment, so how may I direct your call? If you wish to leave a message-"

"Cut the crap, Naruto." A sigh came back over the channel, followed by a muttered, "I'm too old to deal with this shit."

"We have to deal with Ben and the runaway bucket of bolts now. Yoda will catch YOUR children in time, and we'll discuss punishment later." There was a pause. "PLEASE tell me that they AT LEAST had HK with them."

"Yeah, he was in the back seat. I think Anko was piloting it." He said with a hint of pride.

Revan merely groaned, but across the bond he could feel her pride as well as her annoyance at their children.

XX

Obi-wan was cursing his impulsiveness. "_Good job, Obi-Wan. You should be really proud of yourself. You've gon and outdone yourself, seriously. You've REALLY gotten yourself into it, this time. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING JUMPING OUT OF A 147 STORY WINDOW? This has got to be the dumbest thing I've done since I accidentally dragged Naruto and myself into that nest of Gundarks. I mean, by the Force, this__ is the kind of thing Naruto does." _The Jedi Master thought as he struggled to maintain his grip.

"_Blasted droid, hold still!" _Obi-Wan cursed as he was nearly smacked across an incoming speeder. He blinked and twisted. "_Wait a minute...that's not...but they...what the hell are the children and HK doing out of the Temple?"_

As he was dragged through the air, he sighed. "_They are a handful." _He thought, and wasn't necessarily looking forward to being a master to the twins.

"_I'll either be gray or bald before they become Knights. Hell, I'll be lucky just to get through their initial training." _He thought. For some reason, he knew that he would be there when the Namikazes spoke with their children, and wasn't looking forward to that, either.

XX

Zam, meanwhile, was on the ledge of a nearby building, awaiting the arrival of her delivery droid.

Using her binocular goggles, she was able to spot Obi-Wan clinging to the droid's rear fender.

Cursing her bad luck, she went to her speeder, and pulled her beam rifle.

XX

Obi-Wan was getting tired of being thrown around like a ragdoll. Luckily for him, he wasn't going to have to worry about that much longer.

As he turned his head to try and see where exactly the droid was taking him, he spotted a silhouetted figure standing in front of an advertisement billboard, taking aim with a rifle.

"_Wait...is she...oh, this is bull-"_ he started to think, before the droid was smacked dead center by a blaster bolt, sending the Jedi plunging to the earth far, far below.

_**Alright, Ch. 15 is done! I know that many of you have been anxiously awaiting this update, and all I can say is that I'm sorry I couldn't post it sooner. I've had this thing done and sitting on my computer for about 72 hrs. now, but I've been so busy that I haven't had time to post it, or even get on my computer at all.**_

_**Regardless, I hope you enjoy it. Ch. 16 will be up as soon as possible, but I cannot put a time stamp on it. I will post when I have the available time to do so.**_

_**Until next time, this is Sgt. Assassin, signing off.**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Land and Sea**

Obi-Wan hated flying of any sort. His logic was that when you fly, unless you were born with wings, you would inevitably crash. Being dragged through Coruscant's skyline by a suicidal droid hell-bent on shaking him off its' tail only served to reaffirm that hatred.

As the blaster bolt impacted the droid's central processor, he let go mere seconds beforehand, saving his hands from being severed at the wrists. However, now that there was no droid to hold him aloft, he started to drop like a stone, and Obi-Wan knew that flapping his arms, however frantically he did it, was not going to get him out of this one.

"_Wonderfully done. Simply wonderful. THIS is why flying is for droids...and animals that CAN fly. If humanoids were meant to fly, we'd have freakin' wings! Naruto is never going to let me live this down…if I survive this, that is." _Obi-Wan thought as he whipped through traffic, amazed that he hadn't ended up as a hood decoration or a smudge on a cockpit yet.

The roar of an engine caught his attention, and he turned his head to see a speeder angling with him, the familiar sight of blond hair caused him to relax.

Obi-Wan used the Force to cushion himself as he landed in a heap in the passenger's seat, probably the biggest grin he'd ever had in his life plastered all over his face. "Thank the Force you're here, Naruto. I didn't know how much longer I could keep up that freefall without becoming someone's hood ornament."

"Good to see you too, Ben!" Naruto greeted him, and Obi-Wan could hear the laughter in his friend's voice. "Don't you know you can't fly without a speeder, swoop, or podracer?"

"Or in your wife's case, a giant bird." Obi-Wan countered, sitting up and realizing Naruto had already pulled the speeder up out of the nosedive and was giving chase. They were well behind Revan, who was now after a lime green/yellowish speeder.

"Looked like a bounty hunter." Naruto said as Obi-Wan strapped himself in for the long haul.

"I didn't get a good look, but the glimpse I got of the person before the droid was destroyed looked like a woman." Obi-Wan offered.

Naruto nodded as he pushed the speeder faster.

"By the way, what took you so long?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual. I had to find the right color, the speeder had to have twin turbines, the steering wheel had to be just so and I just couldn't find one I liked."

Obi-Wan shook his head, looking around at the bright orange speeder. "You, my friend, are insane."

"Ben, Ben, Ben...it took you this long to figure that out?" Naruto teased as he maneuvered the speeder through traffic, nearly causing several accidents and causing an off-world transport to go flying into three other lanes of traffic, sounds of mid-air explosions and screeching, twisted metal echoing behind them.

As they continued their pursuit, the assassin suddenly threw her speeder into a nosedive.

Obi-Wan blinked, then looked at his friend. "Naruto, you're not seriously going to follOOOOOOOOWWWWW!"

Whipping the speeder upside down, Naruto quickly forced it into a nosedive, gunning the engine in order to try and overtake the other speeder.

Weaving back and forth, they sped over and under traffic that was coming sideways, more innocent bystanders swerving to avoid a collision with the deranged flyboys.

Obi-Wan didn't think his heart could take much more. He was proven wrong when he saw the yellow speeder slip past a giant blue transport. The size of the hovercraft was enormous, and Obi-Wan didn't think there was any way around it.

"Naruto, I think we lost them. Just let your wife...Naruto?"

Obi-Wan noticed the speeder accelerating, and turned to see a huge grin on his friend's face. Paling, he turned back and noticed that they were taking dead aim at the giant transport.

"Nononononononono...slow down...slow down, Naruto." Despite his pleas, he could hear Naruto's roaring laughter as he gunned it faster. "Pull up...pull up...FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PULL UP!"

At the last possible second, Naruto, still cackling like a crazed man in a candy store, jerked the speeder up, slowing their decent just enough so that they skimmed the surface of the transport, cutting their pursuit distance in half with that last manuever.

Obi-Wan, who had very nearly had a heart attack that time, was doing his best not to dig his fingernails into the side of the speeder. Naruto, however, was cutting it REALLY close. "Can't you fly a little...safer?"

"You only live once, Ben. Besides, even if we die, we'll die in a glorious fireball, so it's cool with me."

"YOU'RE MAD!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

Obi-Wan decided to keep his mind off their impending doom. "I could have sworn that I saw the children in a...'borrowed' speeder."

"Yeah, and it looked like they had HK with them, too. I didn't see Master Yoda, though. They probably gave him the slip." Naruto said.

Obi-Wan groaned as he recalled the last time the twins were out of the Temple without a Jedi supervisor. "I think the Quarren Embassy still has shoot-on-sight orders for them. Not to mention the Trandoshan ambassador is still missing half the scales on his face after Anko put itching powder in his scale cream. They ALSO have a shoot-on-sight order."

Naruto shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "Meh, they'll be fine. I just wonder what they are going to do this time."

Obi-Wan groaned. "You're kids take more after you than your wife. I'm SO not looking forward to training them."

Naruto laughed. "Oh, come on, Ben. They won't be that bad."

"If they keep following in your footsteps, I won't be worried about them nearly as much as the enemies they will inevitably make."

Naruto thought about it for a minute. "Hmm...you're probably right, Ben."

Obi-Wan looked at him. "What do you mean, 'probably'?"

Naruto smirked. "If they're anything like me, you're probably screwed from the get-go. Good luck with that, by the way."

His grin widened as he heard Obi-Wan slam his head against the console repeatedly, muttering something along the lines of, "Why me? Just who exactly did I piss off to deserve this, and is there any way I can retire early?"

XX

Revan growled as she saw the speeder take the long way around. "Go over the buildings." She ordered the giant raven.

It nodded slightly and beat its' wings faster.

"_Beloved." _Revan sent back over the bond. She also sent over her idea. Naruto agreed, and she looked over her shoulder to see the bright orange speeder shoot into a tunnel. "One of us will get that hunter." She growled.

XX

"Was that mom?" Kushina asked.

"Affirmative." HK said.

Haku blinked. "She's riding one of her summons."

"Affirmative." HK said again.

Anko saw a bright orange speeder pass them, and waved to her father before gunning the accelerator and taking a side tunnel. "Sorry mom, dad. Like hell we're going back now, though."

Haku stated the obvious. "And that was dad."

"I think I saw Uncle Ben holding onto a delivery droid."

"And Ben says dad's reckless. Should we go and help?" Kushina asked from her seat in the back.

HK, had he been flesh and blood, would have felt a moment of panic. Nonetheless, he was not looking forward to what his Mistress would say later. "Negative Statement: I do not think we should. Mistress and Master are on duty, and it appears to be Jedi business. Side Note: Tracking the bounty we decided on is our business. Amendment: Unless you wish to return to the Temple now, in which case we should turn the speeder around and head back. Sorrowful Repose: This HK unit will comply, regardless."

"Oh hell no." Anko said. "We're having an adventure. Besides, it'll take them a couple of hours to finish repairing the hanger."

Haku nodded. "I think we used too much chakra blasting the door open with that wind jutsu."

Anko snorted again. "It should have opened when we used the pilfered security codes we got from Master Took."

"You do know we're going to get scolded, right?" Haku reminded her sister.

Anko snorted. "If we're going to get yelled either way, we might as well get our credit's worth our of it." Anko said, paraphrasing her father.

Haku nodded at the logic. "In for a decicred, in for a datatary." (Note: Republic Datataries were the currency used during the years of the Old Republic, and a decicred was worth 1/10th of a datatary. Ex: Decicred = Dime, and Datatary = Dollar Bill.)

Kushina remained quiet, as she was working on the lesson her father had given her before he'd left. She knew she was daddy's girl, and she didn't really care because she loved her daddy very much. She didn't really want to be a Jedi, either. She wanted to be more of a ninja, like her daddy.

"Where did you say that informant suggested we look for the target, HK?" Anko called over her shoulder.

"Location: Entertainment District. Statement: It's the other way."

Anko cursed as she hit the clutch and gunned the speeder down an access tunnel for emergency vehicles, then up between two skyscraper-like towers, before skimming across another set of buildings.

"Hope no one opens a window." Haku muttered, as her sister flew like a combat pilot under heavy fire.

The sound of sirens behind them had Haku and Kushina turn to see Coruscant Sky Police giving chase. Anko may have been reckless, but she wasn't stupid enough to take her eyes off the road-er, skylane.

"How fast are you gunning it, Anko?" Haku asked.

Looking at the speedometer, it registered 125 mph...in a 20 mph zone.

"Sweet Kami, Anko! Do you have duranium for feet?"

Anko scowled. "Buckle up. They aren't taking us without a fight."

Kushina added "We'll die first."

Haku the more logical of the three sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of." She muttered as she tightened her seatbelt.

"Inquiry: Should I open fire, little mistresses?" HK inquired with a hopeful glee.

"NO!" all three children replied, knowing the last thing they needed was for the assassin droid to open fire on the CPF.

"Hold on!" Anko called as she put the speeder on a nearly vertical dive, passing through traffic at a breakneck speed.

"We'll loose them in the lower levels." she said, seeing the cloudbank racing towards them.

"Are you insane? Mom forbade us from going down there." Haku said.

"Mom AND Dad both forbade us from driving a speeder, too, and look where we are now. Besides, would you rather sit in a jail cell?" Anko fired back and they hit the darkness of the lower levels, Anko pulling the speeder into an abandoned building and cutting the engine.

"Kushina, shut HK down."

"Statement: I proteeehsssss..." the assassin droid said as Kushina turned him off, his red optical sensors going black as the police speeders went past.

"That was close." Anko said with a sigh.

XX

Revan growled as she cleared the building and saw the assassin's speeder, but her summon still didn't have the speed to catch it. It was then she saw Naruto, who had exited the tunnel across from her, leap out of the speeder and leave Obi-Wan frantically grasping at the controls. She performed a Force Jump across the chasm and landed in the pilot's seat, even as the giant raven vanished back to the summon realm.

"Mind if I drop in?" she asked Ben, who looked rather surprised to see her.

"Not at all." He replied as Revan brought the speeder around a sharp curve. "I hate it when he does that."

Revan laughed. "Well, you know, you were the one who started this whole chase in the first place."

Obi-Wan palmed his face. "Don't remind me. It wasn't one of my better judgment calls."

"I'll say. That's something either Naruto or I usually do." Revan quipped.

Obi-Wan merely groaned. "I know, and that's what worries me."

Revan chuckled, and turned her head to see her husband fighting to stay atop the bounty hunter's speeder, the constant sharp swerves and hairpin turns doing nothing for his balance.

"_That was a lucky landing, love." _she sent over the bond. "_Now all you have to do is be lucky enough that you can remain on-board."_

"_You call it luck. I call it skill. We'll just chalk it up to a difference in opinion" _Naruto sent back. An instant later, she felt his annoyance as a blaster bolt exploded from the roof, singing off a blond lock of hair in the process.

"Master Revan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We'll keep back a ways and follow. I think the hunter just became the prey, and judging from my husband's eagerness, this should end pretty soon."

XX

On the roof of the cockpit, Naruto was on all fours, using chakra to hang on for dear life.

He looked down at the occupant of the speeder. "That nearly hit me, you know! Whatever happened to courtesy when dealing with hitchhikers? If I'd known that this was the way you treated pick-ups, I'd have taken the transport back at the 800 Plaza! " he yelled.

Three more blaster shots exploded upwards as his response, and despite the fact that they missed, they did not miss entirely. More hair was singed off, and one managed to glance his new sandals, leaving a melted semicircular hole in the front of them.

"That's it! I've had it with people shooting my new clothes! This is bullshit!" Naruto snarled. He arced his left hand, and began forming a full-fledged Rasengan.

"You want to destroy my property? How about we return the favor? You're landing early!" Naruto said slamming his hand down on the rear of the craft. The engine stood no chance as the Rasengan shredded the housing and then bored into the block in a matter of seconds, shredding and grinding crucial compontents as it reduced the engine block to a pile of smoldering scrap.

The flames leaping from the casing gave a pretty good indication of the damage that had been done, and despite the fire-safety measures that were installed in the speeder, the entire tail of the craft quickly caught fire, before exploding outwards, a huge plume of smoke trailing the speeder as it made a rather abrupt descent to the ground below.

Patrons out for a late night stroll through the streets were treated to a rather peculiar sight: A speeder missing its' tail section and spinning wildly out of control with a random blonde individual hanging onto the cockpit as it made a bee-line for the stunned onlookers.

Shouts and curses were just some of the things screamed as people of various species ran for their lives, arms and legs flailing as the throng parted for the smoking missile like Moses parted the Red Sea. Only quicker and with screaming involved.

The speeder made contact with the permacrete, screeching and groaning as it skid across the surface, resembling a demented surfboard with Naruto hanging ten-_scratch that_-hanging onto whatever he could.

Seconds from impact, Naruto bailed like a pro, performing a picturesque tuck-and-roll into several containers, which subsequently buried him in their masses.

The assassin wasn't as fortunate, and went along for the full ride, the speeder slamming into a durasteel column, the front crumpling like a makeshift accordion.

Trembling, the containers fell off of one another, Naruto's hand, then his arm, and finally his head, popping up and surveying his surroundings. "Well, that could have gone better."

Shaking his head, he stood up and brushed himself off, curious onlookers simply staring at the man who had, for all intents and purposes, fallen from the sky.

Looking up, he spotted the assassin scrambling from the cockpit, looking back at Naruto before she darted into the throng of spectators.

"Damnit. Can't they just give up and make this shit easier?" Naruto groaned, giving chase. He followed her for several blocks before watching her enter a rather large building.

"A nightclub. Great, I could use a drink." Naruto quipped sarcastically.

Turning, he greeted his wife and Obi-Wan, whom he'd felt land the speeder and join him.

"What took you so long?" he asked echoing Obi-Wan's question from before.

"Oh you know, nothing matched my robes, and I had this one hair that just would not stay down." Revan shot back.

Naruto smile and gestured. "Our hunter is female and a changeling, from what I saw."

"You saw?" Obi-Wan asked with a hint of disbelief.

"Of course, Ben. I was on the roof, after all."

"Was that before or after you blew the speeder to hell and back?"

"Now, now Ben. It didn't hit anyone and I'm fine." Naruto said.

Obi-Wan walked ahead of the Namikazes, entering the bar and muttering about how he would likely go gray before he was forty.

Naruto looked at his wife. "You want to keep watch out here?" he asked.

Revan sighed. "Fine. go inside and play. Tell Ben to lay off the Jawa Juice while you're at it."

Naruto grinned and stepped into the bar. Obi-Wan was waiting, his eyes scanning the packed room.

As he approached him, Obi-Wan glanced at him for a moment, before returning to his search. "What do you suggest?" Naruto asked.

"You look around." Obi-Wan replied. "I'm getting a drink."

Naruto grinned. "A drink? Really, Ben, was my flying that bad?"

"Yes, and your wife is even worse." Obi-Wan Kenobi said as he headed towards the bar and ordered a glass of Jawa Juice.

Naruto slowly maneuvered around the room. He could sense the bounty hunter was here, but not where, as the crowd was suffocating his senses.

He saw patrons drinking, playing games, and betting on robot football, a creature race he'd never seen before, and several pod races taking place from different venues near the Outer Rim.

Obi-Wan continued his scanning, but was interrupted by a rather bold youth next to him.

"You wanna buy some Death Sticks?" the dealer asked.

Obi-Wan merely waved his hand nonchalantly. "You don't want to sell me Death Sticks."

"I don't want to sell you Death Sticks."

"You want to go home and rethink your life."

"I want to go home and rethink my life."

The teen got up and left, none the wiser to the Jedi's subtle but impacting manipulation on his life.

Naruto saw the exchange, and grinned. _"Since Padme showed up, he's become more…reckless, outgoing. More willing to help others, instead of keeping to himself."_The thought of his friend bending the rules to help others made Naruto smile.

"_Rev won't let me lock them in the Falcon's cargo hold until they have sex, so I need to think of another approach. I need to give him a little prodding in the right direction, or he'll be a lonely Jedi hermit on some Kami-forsaken deserted rock somwhere." _Naruto thought.

He was just passing Ben a second time when a warning in the Force burned in his mind, and he spun around. At the same time, Obi-Wan ignited his saber and spun around, lopping off the tip of the blaster that was aimed at his back.

Naruto was not as kind, however, and cleaved off the bounty hunter's arm, severing it at the elbow. Zam cried out in pain, as her blaster and arm were separated from her body. She fell back and leaned against a partition, groaning in agony.

"Your shifter, I take it?" Obi-Wan asked with a drawl.

Naruto looked at the clothes and nodded. He looked around the cantina that had fallen silent.

"Jedi business. Go back to your drinks." He said, grabbing the bounty hunter's other arm and hauling her to her feet, while Obi-Wan grabbed the severed limb as they dragged her from the nightclub.

XX

Revan blinked when her husband and Obi-Wan came back dragging the bounty hunter.

"Zam?"

"You know her?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Zam Wessel. She's a Clawdite shapeshifter." Revan said, then looked at Zam. "Do you know who it was that you were trying to kill?"

Zam grunted in pain and looked at Revan. "The Senator from Naboo." She took a hard breath when Naruto took off his jacket and wrapped her cauterized stump with it.

"Who hired you?" Obi-Wan demanded, his voice taking on a hard edge.

Zam just glared at him. "It was just a job."

Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi that was renowned for his patience, started to break. "Tell us!"

Zam glared "That senator is gonna die soon anyway, and the next assassin won't make the same mistakes I did…" she sneered back.

"Zam, your wound is going to need treat-" Revan began.

Obi-Wan cut her off, his breaking point reached. "Who hired you? Tell us…tell us NOW!"

Zam shot the Jedi Knight a look filled with hate.

"Zam, please." Revan begged.

"It was a bounty hunter called-"

There was a small whooshing sound, and Zam blinks, her eyes wide and mouth agape. Looking down, Revan can see a small dart embedded in her neck.

Turning, the three Jedi watch as a familiar-looking man in a familiar-looking suit of armor activates his jetpack and shoots off into the night.

Turning back to the assassin, they can see her revert to her original form, and watch as she gasps out two more unintelligible words before slumping to the ground, dead.

Obi-Wan reaches forward, plucking the dart from her neck.

"Toxic dart." He says, looking at the small device in the palm of his hand.

"Worse than that." Revan says looking in the direction the second assassin had flown. "Things have gotten SO much worse."

Naruto put a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"_Could someone be impersonating him?" _he mentally asked.

"_You mean, is there someone stupid enough to steal that armor, and go around killing people in it? Whoever would do that would have to have a death wish. No, its him alright..." _Revan sent back.

Naruto prodded her a little more. "_And?"_

Revan frowned. "_And I intend to find out WHY."_

XX

Anko growled as the speeder's engine gave up a very brutal sounding screech. Taking a blaster bolt to the inner rotator cuff and having it ricochet throughout the whole block would do that.

"You have to admit, it was fun." Kushina said to her older sister.

"Corrective Statement: It was glorious!" HK added.

Haku, who sported a smudge on her cheek, looked at Anko. "She's got a point, Anko. That swoop gang won't mess with anyone again."

Anko growled.

"What's wrong?" her twin asked.

"I didn't get to bust heads." She pouted, struggling to keep the speeder in the air and make it back to the Temple.

_**Flashback**_

The building they decided to take refuge in from CPF was a very good hiding spot, considering their on-the-spot decision. It also just so happened to be the home of one of the many swoop bike gangs that took up residence in the lower levels of Coruscant.

"Well boys, lookie what we got here." One of the bikers joked.

"Should we let Zero in on this?" another asked.

"Nah. This is our territory, and we got us some girls here that I bet would fetch a hefty profit as joy rides, once they get a bit older, of course."

The girls narrowed their eyes, but it was Kushina, the youngest of the three, that lit the fuse on this perpetual powder-keg.

"HK..." Kushina began, as she pulled out some wire her father had given her recently.

"Inquiry: Yes, young mistress?" the droid asked, its' red optics vibrating at the prospect of carnage.

"Fire at will."

HK didn't even respond. The sound of a blaster going off was the only reply she received, followed by a bloodcurdling scream, as a Rodian biker fell to his side, his leg barely attached with what was left of his knee.

A Carodian's hand was next, its' blaster still in its' grip as it fell to the floor, a second scream joining the first as the two gang members writhed on the floor.

Two more bikers were shot, one dropping like a stone as a bolt pegged him between the eyes. The second emitted a shrill scream, for as he was turning to run, a bolt tagged him in the rear, causing his eyes to water and his legs to kick into overdrive, allowing him to dive over a nearby swoop bike as he caressed his wounded buttocks.

Haku was already in motion, having drawn her tanto and embedded it in a Trandoshan's spinal column, the lizard-like creature gurgling before dropping to the floor. Not even bothering to look, she whipped her hand over her shoulder, then crossed her fingers before her.

The two shuriken she had thrown multiplied into twenty, turning the Drach'nam behind her into a pincushion, his neuronic whip falling from his hand as he slumped forward.

Kushina was skipping merrily through the bikers, humming a whimsical tune as her microwire sliced off limbs and decapitated various individuals.

HK was busy, too. Knowing that the thugs were so beneath him he could eliminate the entire gang by himself with one blaster, he was taking care to choose his targets, and was doing his best to variate his shots. One unlucky human was blasted in the crotch, his knees giving out as a squeak came from his mouth, before he passed out from the intense pain and shock.

A Gran had its' third eye obliterated by a blaster bolt, his screams cut short as HK pegged his other two eyes, dropping effortlessly in the process.

One Trandoshan met his untimely end when he attempted to sneak up behind HK, only for the droid to fold one of its' arms behind itself and shove its' blaster barrel between the lizard's eyes. The resulting shot blew out his brainpan, splattering the ground with grey matter as the corpse slumped to the ground.

Anko wasn't happy. She was pinned down inside the speeder and unable to leave the safety of the seat. She swore as smoke started to rise from the battered hood. "_Son of a Hutt! We're gonna__ need to fix that!" _Anko thought.

"HK! Target those idiots shooting up the speeder!" she ordered.

"Compliance!" the assassin droid said with a hint of glee as it turned the assault rifle towards the group using support pillars as cover.

"Jubilant Statement: EAT BLASTER BOLTS, WORTHLESS MEAT PUPPETS!" HK intoned, and then, to the surprise of everyone there, pulled a switch and used the grenade launcher, sending a frag grenade into their midst.

Anko peeked over the dash as the grenade exploded, killing several more gang members and sending the rest packing, while her sisters stood there smirking over the eviscerated and smoking corpses.

"Aw, man." She whined, even as Kushina hurried over to the speeder to begin repairs. "That's so messed up."

_**End Flashback**_

"I didn't get to do anything." Anko whined again.

"Kushina is better with fixing machines than us." Haku said to her twin sister.

"I wasn't talking about the speeder! I wanted to fight." Anko said as the Temple came into view.

"You can have the next fight." Haku said to placate her sister.

She sent the signal to the hanger controls, and the speeder limped in as they parted. It landed with a clank and a whine as the engine powered down.

Anko sighed and the three Namikaze children slipped from the speeder. They were nearing the hangar exit when it cycled open on its' own. The girls blinked owlishly, before cursing their bad luck as the doors opened and revealed Revan.

She had her arms folded over her chest, and her, "I'm pissed, and I'm gonna let you know it" look on her face.

Haku merely shook her head. "Here we go again."

Anko gaped and sputtered. "I...but...we...you...fuck.."

Kushina turned to her older sister. "You wanted the next fight, right? Well congratulations, you've got it."

XX

_**Jedi Temple, Council Chambers...**_

"Disturbing, this report is." Yoda started, as Naruto and Obi-Wan finished their report.

"Revan and I have Senator Amidala in our quarters." Naruto said. After returning to the consulate they had packed her up and with Typho hoofed it over to the Temple. On the way there, Revan had spotted the children and their rather beaten up speeder. She had agreed to confront the trio after she had secured the senator in the quarters.

"Wise it is, to surround her with Jedi. Safer, she will be, than at the consulate." Yoda agreed. "Troubling it is, that you knew the attacker."

Naruto nodded. Mandalorian's were very particular on who wore their armor, and that armor belonged to the adopted son of Jaster Mereel, Jango Fett.

"Track down this bounty hunter, you must." Yoda continued.

Mace spoke up. "Most importantly, find out who he's working for."

"Revan and I plan on looking into it. We were hoping to have Obi-Wan escort the senator to a safer location, preferably off-world."

Yoda, Mace Windu and Qui-Gon Jin exchanged looks. "Believe you do, that the attempts on the senator aren't finished? Come to this conclusion, how did you?" Yoda inquired.

Naruto nodded. "Whoever can get a Mandalorian to do their dirty work for them is not going to stop They'll continue to pursue this objective until the senator is dead, or refuses to attend the vote."

Naruto continued, conveying the morbidity of the situation to the group, however uncomfortable it may be. "Those Kouhuns were too damn close, this time. Next time, we might not be there to stop whatever they throw at her next. It would be best if we kept her on the move and away from the Core at this time."

"She won't like that." Obi-Wan spoke up. "Pad-_Senator Amidala_ is adamant about attending the summit. She will want to be here when they vote to decide upon the creation of an army for the Republic. Good luck trying to persuade her otherwise."

Naruto bit his lip to keep from addressing his friend's slip of the tongue, and just barely managed to succeed.

"It would be prudent to get her off-world." Qui-Gon commented. "However, like Obi-Wan just said, I doubt she would listen to us. She is rather…stubborn." He said shooting a look to his former Padawan. The younger man nodded in agreement, knowing that all too well.

"Until caught, this killer is, our judgment she must respect." said Yoda.

"Perhaps the Chancellor could convince her, as well. It could make the transfer go smoother, and remove some unneeded hostilities." Mace pondered.

Naruto winced at the suggestion. He wanted nothing to do with the man, but he had to agreed. "He does have the authority to order her off-planet. However, I believe we shouldn't trust him with the location."

Yoda paused. "You and Revan still feel something?"

Naruto nodded. It wasn't just the man's influence on Anakin, but Revan's own feelings about the man. "How about this: We plan on having them head to Naboo, but instead, Ben and Amidala will go elsewhere."

"You have somewhere in mind?" Qui-Gon asked.

Naruto nodded. "I need to speak with Revan, but it should work."

Yoda closed his eyes and they could feel him consulting the Force. "Agreed. Speak with the Chancellor, I will. Keep hidden and safe, the Senator must be."

XX

_**Namikaze Chambers, Jedi Temple...**_

Padme nearly laughed when she realized she and the children were almost identical in pouting as they sat before the pacing Jedi Master.

"Just what in the name of the Force where the three of you thinking?" she said, stopping and looking at her daughters who had grace enough to look ashamed.

HK was currently recharging in the next room. Revan had ordered him to power down, she did not want his exuberant answers at this point in time.

"We just wanted to get out of the Temple." Anko said looking mulish, a look Revan had seen on Naruto's face when he was having an argument and he dug his feet in.

"The speeder is going to be in the repair shop for WEEKS. What did you three do this time? Declare war on the Bothans?"

Shaking her head she looked at Anko, technically the eldest. "Do you three know that several of the Masters are calling for your expulsion from the Temple for the latest pranks you've pulled?"

She looked at Haku and Kushina as well. "Destroying Master Cin Drallig's personal training room, having a pillow war in the Meditation Chamber, the time-delayed soap bomb in the Room of a Thousand Fountains..."

At this all three giggled, until Revan cleared her throat, causing silence to ensue once more. "Not to mention running away from Master Yoda, destroying the hanger doors, AND taking a perfectly good 50,000 datatary speeder and turning it into a hovertable, for all the good it'll do anyone now. I don't want to even THINK about the laws you've broken outside the Temple."

Her daughters shared a look, and Revan groaned. "Save it. I don't want to know."

Revan turned to look at Padme. "And YOU!"

"ME?" Padme said, looking surprised.

"Not going to the panic room after an assassination attempt, arguing with Captain Typho, disobeying DIRECT ORDERS from both Jedi and your security team. I swear, if you were my daughter, I'd"

"You'd what?" Padme demanded.

The children watched as their mother turned towards the young woman they considered family.

"Turn you over my knee. I know your folks rarely did that to you and your sister, but I swear you needed it a HELL of a lot more."

A chuckle had all of them turn to see Naruto leaning against the wall. "You might want to let Ben spank her."

Both Padme blushed and Obi-Wan, who was just entering the room, stop and gawked at mental images they both had.

"Daddy!" Three voices filled the air, and Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze found himself being dogpiled by his three precious children.

"Done getting in trouble for the month?" he asked.

All three girls looked at him innocently, the infamous, "Moe-Puppy Pout" rearing its' unbearably cute head once more. Padme and Obi-Wan aww'd at the sheer magnitude of cute they were being exposed to. Naruto and Revan merely scoffed.

"Yeah, that works so well." Naruto said, mussing their hair. "Your mother and I invented that look long before you were born."

He looked at Revan. "So, what's the verdict?"

"Grounded, among other things." She said. "How was your meeting?"

Naruto looked at Revan, then at Padme. "Yeah, about that…"

XX

Anko Namikaze grunted as she continued to balance on her thumb and index finger.

Across the room, Haku was doing the same thing, while Kushina was stuck writing a report about the Jedi Code as well as the Ninja Code of Conduct and the similarities as well as differences between the two.

Padme Amidala stood with her back to the room, looking out the bay window at the street below. When Naruto had told them of what the Council was planning, she'd protested (loudly, I might add) about leaving Coruscant when the vote was merely days away.

Her protests continued until she'd been called to a meeting with the Supreme Chancellor, and ordered to surrender to the protection of the Jedi. The Chancellor had conveyed his concerns, and when that didn't work, he'd made it an executive order, one that she could not refuse if she wanted to retain her status as a Senator.

Once she relented, he gave her a sympathetic smile, told her not to worry, and to have a relaxing stay on her home planet of Naboo. She had appointed Jar-Jar, much to Naruto's dismay, as her representative, and he'd eagerly accepted, albeit with dignity unbecoming of him. That dignity was then brutally thrown out the 76 story window when he turned around, gave a whoop, and crushed Naruto in a huge bear hug, to the utter horror of said blond, and to the amusement of everyone else.

Once she was back in the Namikaze quarters, she learned that she wasn't going to be headed to Naboo. She was instead going to another planet, one that had yet to be disclosed, as it was being kept a closely guarded secret.

Revan returned and looked at her children. Sighing, she called out to Padme.

"What did you find?" the senator asked.

"I checked on the dart that Jango used, and despite my many contacts, I came up with nothing."

Padme blinked. "Nothing? But that's impossible."

Revan chuckled. "I thought so, too. Then Ben decided to give it a go."

Padme smiled. "Obi-Wan?"

Revan grinned. "Yeah, you're boyfriend." Padme's blush had her laughing. "Anyway, Ben wasn't able to find anything either, BUT-" She continued, stopping Padme's question before it could be voiced. "-he decided to talk to his friend Dexter about it."

_**Flashback...**_

Obi-Wan entered Dex's Diner, and was promptly greeted by a sever droid.

"What can I get ya, hun?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "Actually, I was looking for Dexter-"

"DEX! SOMEONE TO SEE YOU, HONEY! Jedi, by the looks of 'em." the droid called out.

Poking his head up from the back counter, Dexter cracked a huge grin. "OBI-WAN!"

Obi-Wan smiled back. "Hello, Dex."

"Take a seat. I'll be right with ya." Dexter said, already starting to leave the back room.

Obi-Wan nodded, heading for a nearby booth.

"You want a cup of Jawa Juice?" the server asked as he passed.

"Oh yes, thank you." Obi-Wan replied, sitting in the booth.

As the server went into the back to get his beverage, Dexter rounded the counter, all four arms spread wide in greeting. "Heeeeeyyyy...ohohohoho, buddy!" he said joyously, wrapping his large arms around the Jedi Master.

Obi-Wan reciprocated with a huge smile, then both friends took a seat in the booth, Dex having to squeeze his huge frame in the tiny space, but managing.

"So, my friend, what can I do for ya?"

Obi-Wan reached into his cloak, and pulled out the dart. "You can tell me what THIS is."

Dexter seemed impressed. "Weellll...whadya know? I ain't seen one of these since I was prospectin' on Subterrel, beyond the Outer Rim."

The server came over with the drinks, and Obi-Wan thanked the droid. Turning back to Dexter, he resumed their conversation. "Can you tell me where it came from?"

Dexter chuckled. "This baby belongs to them _cloners_. What you got here, is a Kaminoan Saber Dart."

Obi-Wan frowned. "I wonder why it didn't show up in the analysis archives?"

Dexter continued. "You see, it's these funny little cuts on the side that give it away. Those analysis droids only focus on symbols." He scoffed. "I should think you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and...hehehe, _wisdom_."

Obi-Wan sipped his juice and grinned. "Well, if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there?"

He set his drink down and picked up the dart. "Kamino...I'm not familiar with it. Is it in the Republic?"

Dex shook his head. "No, no, it's beyond the Outer Rim. I'd say about, um...twelve parsecs outside the Rishi Maze. Should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archives."

Obi-Wan smiled, taking the jab good-naturedly as Dexter continued. "These..._Kaminoans_...keep to themselves. They're not very outgoing, if you know what I mean. They're _cloners_. Damn good ones, too."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Cloners...Are they friendly?"

Dexter scoffed. "Oh, depends..."

Obi-Wan waited, but no answer was forthcoming. "Depends on what, Dex?"

Dexter chuckled. "On how good your manners are, and how big your, uh..._pocketbook_ is...hehehehehe."

_**End Flashback...**_

Padme frowned. "Kamino? I've never heard of it, either."

Revan nodded. "Both me and Ben have been digging through the archives, using both droids and by hand. We even enlisted the help of the Head Archivist, or Chief Librarian, Master Jocasta Nu. According to her, "If an item doesn't appear in our records, it does not exist." Pompous old fool. Nothing is perfect, and as a Jedi, she should know that by know."

Padme blinked, staring intently at the Jedi Master. "Then what does this mean?"

Revan looked at her daughters. "Alright you three. Go wash up, and get ready for bed." All three filed from the room quickly, hoping that complying would get them off their punishments quicker.

Once they were gone, Revan turned back to Padme, a very serious demeanor being adopted by the Jedi Master. "In all likelihood? It means that the Temple had been infiltrated, and someone deleted it from the archives."

Padme found this information very hard to swallow. If someone skilled enough to walk into the heart of the Jedi Temple and do what Revan was claiming existed, they were very powerful and dangerous. Someone who should not be trifled with.

"Well, on an unrelated topic, can I please know where I'm going to be hiding out? It's been made clear to me that the whole Naboo thing is a hoax."

Revan smiled. "Naruto is setting things up, so you just need to be patient."

Padme sighed. A thought hit her, and she perked up. "Is it Naruto's homeworld?"

Revan laughed. "No, no. That's way too far away. It would take more than a year of traveling at lightspeed, without stops, to get there." Revan thought of her own travel to and from Ibonihs all those years ago.

"_There are times I want to take my family and return to that primitive world just to keep them safe from the darkness that is rising in the galaxy." _Revan thought. She'd been very careful not to put the location of Ibonihs in the archives, to the annoyance of several of the Masters, but with Master Yoda's approval.

"If I don't know where I'm going, I won't know what to pack." Padme tried again, causing Revan to smirk.

"Nice try. But I've packed for you." She looked back towards where the children were preparing. "You won't be alone with Obi-Wan either, I'm afraid." She said, seeing the younger woman blush. "The three imps and HK are going to be with you, as well. Naruto and I are splitting up, too."

Padme blinked at this. "Why?"

Revan sighed as she heard the girls arguing over who splashed who in the tub. "I'll be tracking down Jango Fett, an old acquaintance of ours who I've learned has become quite the bounty hunter since the Battle for Naboo ten years ago. I've no clue about the rest of the Mandalorian clan, and that bothers me." She looked out the window with Padme for a moment. "Naruto wants to follow a lead with…"

"With what?" Padme asked.

"Not what, who. Naruto's going to follow Anakin Skywalker the next time he leaves. There is much anger in that boy, and its gotten worse over the years."

Padme blinked trying to place the name. "The boy you saved from slavery?"

Revan nodded. "Too many strange events surround him, and both Naruto and I are concerned as to what their intentions may be, or what they may hold in store for him."

XX

_**Temple Hanger...**_

"Well, the ship checks out." Naruto said, coming down the ramp and looking at Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Jedi looked up, a tad nervous.

"I can't believe you and Revan are sending us along with the children-"

Naruto covered his mouth. "Not here." He hissed, then in a normal tone of voice he continued. "You'll all enjoy time on Naboo where it's safe, trust me."

Obi-Wan nodded, then followed him up the ramp of the _Night Dagger_. Once the boarding ramp was closed, Naruto sighed. "You'll take that ship. I've got a fighter from the hangar, thanks to Master Windu, and it's hidden not far away, thanks to Dex. Lastly, Revan will be going after Fett in the _Falcon_. He's going to give her answers, whether he wants to or not."

"And you really think Skywalker is involved in this somehow?" Obi-Wan asked.

Naruto nodded. "The Chancellor wasn't surprised Padme was attacked the last couple of times. He was more surprised that she survived."

Obi-Wan gave him a questioning look. "And Master Yoda agrees with me." Naruto continued, ignoring said look.

"Now, the children are going with you as cover…" Naruto grinned. "And to act as chaperones."

Obi-Wan Kenobi gave his long time friend a flat look this time.

"I can feel the discontent rolling off you in waves, Ben." Naruto said. "Just because you won't be getting your nookie time-." Naruto ducked a punch from his friend, and chuckled. "Relax, I'm just kidding."

Obi-Wan snorted. "Hardy-har-har. Hilarious."

He shrugged and headed to the cockpit. "I was only partially joking. They ARE going with you as cover. I've taken the liberty of programming you destination into the navi-computer. HK will activate it once you've made the jump to lightspeed and it'll alter your course then."

"I don't like all this cloak and dagger stuff you and Revan are pulling."

"Neither do we." Naruto said softly. "I would like to just stay home with my children. I've missed large gaps of their life, and it's pissing me off." Naruto said.

The two friends were silent for some time, the brunette contemplating the present, and the blonde contemplating the future.

XX

"Coruscant Tower Control, this is the _Millennium Falcon_ escorting the _Night Dagger _into orbit. Identify clear lanes of takeoff."

"_Falcon_ heading 12-24-13 is clear. Good flying, and safe journey to Naboo." the controller replied.

Revan scowled as she shut off communications. "Thanks a lot, asshole. What a way to broadcast." She shook her head.

Next to her, Qui-Gon Jinn was acting as navigator.

"Thanks from coming along, by the way." She said, as they followed the _Dagger_ out of the atmosphere and into open space.

Qui-Gon relaxed as the genjutsu that Revan had covered him with vanished. To any random passerbys, he'd looked exactly like Naruto, and was greeted as such by several individuals on their way out. He merely nodded his head and continued, not wanting to blow the whole thing from the get-go.

Turning to Revan, he smiled. "And miss out on something that is bound to be more exciting than sitting and meditating? As if." He said. "Besides, I believe my former Padawan and the senator have the harder task."

At her questioning look, he elaborated. "They have your children and droid with them."

Revan smirked.

A light on her console lit up, and she frowned. "That was fast." She muttered. "Activating the deflectors." She said, even as she opened a private frequency with the _Dagger_.

"Obi-Wan, you better make the jump now. We've got six unmarked fighters closing in on your position."

"Making the jump. May the Force be with you, Master." He said and moments later the sleek black fighter made the jump to hyperspace. Noticing the absence of their target, the fighters turned on the _Falcon_, bearing down on her like a pack of hungry Kath Hounds.

"You want me to man the turret gun?" Qui-Gon asked.

"No need." Revan said, and made a cross seal that the other Jedi had seen Naruto make. In a heartbeat, several clones of Revan appeared.

"Battle stations." She ordered.

As the clones manned their respective weaponry/stations, the original noticed a midnight black fighter break away from the other five, and veer off towards open space. Revan flipped a switch, activating a second private frequency.

"Honey, one's breaking off."

"I know. It's Skywalker. He left the Chancellor's office rather quickly after hearing about the Senator's departure. I'm coming up from the dark side of the planet." Silence ensued for several seconds. "Alright, I've got his tail. Before I commit, do you need assistance?"

"Negative. Those fighters are no match for the _Falcon_."

"Alright, then. Good hunting." Naruto said. She saw a Jedi Starfighter coming from the southern pole of the planet and link up with a floating hyperdrive ring.

"Where did he get that?" Qui-Gon asked. Not many of the craft had been made, and he wasn't aware that Naruto had access to them.

"A friend. He borrowed R2-D2 from Padme to help him." Revan said.

As the Falcon's quad-lasers opened fire and scattered the remaining enemies, she saw the black fighter make the jump to lightspeed, followed shortly by the Jedi Starfighter.

"Strap in, Qui-Gon." Revan said as she had the _Falcon_ performing moves that would make a stunt fighter envious. "Hang on back there!" she called to her clones, as two of them were manning the quad-laser turrets she had applied to the _Falcon_, while the third was back near the engine, ready to redistribute power. The fourth one was manning the communications and sensors behind Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon Jinn winced as Revan turned the gravity compensators down and corkscrewed the _Falcon_, avoiding incoming freighters and giving the pursuit ships a hell of a running battle.

Revan laughed as another of the pursuing fighters was blasted into scrap metal.

"COME ON, YOU MAGGOTS! IS THIS THE BEST YOU HAVE TO OFFER?" Revan taunted while her clones echoed her.

"_Force help us." _Qui-Gon Jinn thought, his fingers digging into the armrests of his seat. _"Revan may be the oldest Jedi Master on record at over four thousand years old, but she acts like such a youngling at times. It can be quite scary."_

XX

"You locked onto his hyperdrive signature, R2?" Naruto asked.

An affirmative whistle told him that the tracking device he'd attached to Anakin's vessel beforehand had activated, and he would be able to find the Chancellor's aide wherever he went.

"Good. Shut off all unnecessary devices, and cut the power output to 25%. We don't want him knowing we're onto him, so we'll keep our distance for now."

Artoo whistled and beeped an affirmative. Naruto found he liked the little astromech droid who, like him, had a witty sense of humor.

Turning to his console, he peered at the readout, then blinked as Anakin jumped out of hyperspace. Following suit, Naruto barely had time to input the new coordinates before they were off again. Back and forth they went, spending mere minutes in hyperspace only to re-enter normal space moments later, change coordinates, and jump again.

"Where are you going, Skywalker? What's your game?" Naruto mussed.

XX

Padme looked on as the _Night Dagger_ exited hyperspace, a desolate wasteland of a planet filling the viewscreen. "What planet is this again? It's not on any of the star charts."

Obi-Wan, who had finally managed to get the three Namikaze children settled in, sighed and stroked his beard. "I don't know. We're merely flying by the navigation that Naruto programmed into the computer. This is just the first stop over. We'll make the next jump in a couple moments. The planet that Naruto and Revan are sending us to is a very ancient planet. It's not well known nowadays, but if one were to search for it in the Republic databases, they'd catch bits and pieces of it's location, as well as its' history. However, it's a planet that Revan knows all too well, or so I'm told."

"Interesting. So, what's it called?" Padme asked with a hint of curiosity.

"The world we're going to is called Lehon. And it was a very important world to Revan four thousand years ago."

Obi-Wan leaned back in the pilot's chair, even as the ship locked coordinates, and re-entered hyperspace. "Lehon is a very old planet. _Very_ old. Lehon's very first records are from approximately 35,000 years ago, give or take a century. 5,000 years before the rise of the Old Republic." **(Note: the Galactic Republic, which is the timeframe this is all taking place in, is different from the Old Republic. The Old Republic was basically an older version of the Galatic Republic, before changes were made to the constitution which resulted in a complete overhaul of the government, and resulted in a new Galactic Republic which only lasted for about 1,000 years before the Rise of the Galactic Empire.)**

Padme slumped into the copilot's chair, her eyes wide and mouth agape. "35,000 years? That's impossible! How do you know of this?"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Revan told me. She's been there twice. Once, as its' conqueror. The other time, as its' savior."

Padme blinked, and couldn't speak. The idea that Revan had been to this ancient planet astounded her.

She suddenly had a thought. "But wait! I thought Revan said she was only 4,000 years old?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "She is. She met several of the planet's Elders, and they were the ones who bestowed upon her their ancient history. Now, are you going to let me tell the story or not?"

Padme folded her arms and stuck out her tongue. Obi-Wan merely grinned. "As I was saying, Lehon's first known records date back to the earliest known galactic government ever established, the Infinite Empire. It was established 35,000 years ago, as well. Of course, it's not in existence today."

Padme nodded. "What was it like, this, 'Infinite Empire'?"

"It all started with a technologically advanced race called the Rakatans. Now, these individuals were incredibly intelligent, and had found a way to combine their advanced technology...with the power of the Force."

Padme once again gaped at this. "I know. That was my first reaction, as well." chuckled Obi-Wan. "Through their Force/Technology hybrid, they were able to create the first recorded hyperdrive system, and used this power to travel through space. Eventually, they came across other species, other planets in their solar system. Seeing how inferior the technology of these other species was, however, instead of trying to befriend the people and aid their advancement, they chose to conquer and enslave the people of these worlds."

Padme shook her head. "That's horrible! How could they do such a thing?"

Obi-Wan shook his head as well. "They believed themselves superior to others, and thusly believed they had a right to anything they wanted. It began with just their solar system, but soon spread to other planets, other solar systems, and pretty soon, they began to establish an ever-expanding empire. Countless species were enslaved, and a estimated total of 500 worlds were subjugated to their cruelty."

"This Empire ruled for around 9,800 years. At its' height, the Infinite Empire consisted of 10 billion Rakata, and 1 trillion slaves. Because of the immense cruelty and unbridled evil that the Rakata were putting their captives through, they quickly became tainted by the Dark Side, and their technology, which was influenced by their connection to the Force, quickly showed such taint."

"At the absolute pinnacle of Rakatan power, the Infinite Empire commissioned the construction of one of the most deadly constructs the galaxy has ever seen...the Star Forge."

Padme blinked. "Wait, I remember that. Something about it being able to create a giant fleet..."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Indeed. The Star Forge was, for all intents and purposes, a giant automated shipyard, designed to create the most powerful army of all time: A literally endless supply of droids, tanks, fighters, starships, and weapons of any and all sizes, no matter how big, small, or energy consuming. According to Revan, it was positioned above one of the Rakatan solar system's stars, which allowed it to draw upon the massive energy and matter reserves stored within the gas giant. This was what allowed it to produce never-ending supplies and weaponry."

"The construction of the facility took several years, during which time many slaves died during the extensive construction taking place. As it was, the Dark Side had a firm grip on the Rakatans, and by incorporating the Force into their technology, this was what, in essence, sealed their fate. You see, the Star Forge had, for whatever reason, developed semi-sentience. It could use Dark Side influence to corrupt anyone who stepped foot into it, allowing it to feed off their negative emotions and feelings, thus making itself stronger."

"The Rakatans, who were too blinded by their arrogance and lust for power, had no idea that they were being used by the very weapon that they'd created. It eventually lead to their downfall. No one knows how it began, only that because of the Star Forge's insatiable appetite for Dark Side energy, it began to corrupt the Rakatans even further, taking their intelligent, if not abusive nature, and replacing it with the violence and savagery of a wild animal."

"The loss of control became apparent, as across the Empire, thousands of slave revolts took place, with Rakatan leaders vying for control of the Empire. This led to dissent and fracturing in the Empire, ultimately becoming a civil war."

"Already weakened from infighting, putting down slave revolts and insurrections, and having to struggle to hold their tenuous grip on their Empire, the Rakatans were not prepared for what happened next. A deadly plague hit their ranks, and due to its' specific genome sequencing, only affected those of Rakatan nature. It's a possibility that it was genetically engineered by the slaves to kill off their captors, but we'll never know for sure."

"What we do know, is that the plague, because of its' specific nature, spread quickly and violently through the Rakatan ranks, nearly exterminating the Rakata, and bringing the Empire to its' knees. Slaves quickly regained control of their homeworlds, the stricken Rakata unable to do anything more than fall back and give up their conquests."

"A mutation in the virus dealt the final blow to the beleaguered Empire. This mutation cut off their connection to the Force. Since their technology was mixed with the Force, as their Force-adepts died off and were ultimately culled from the population, they lost the ability to utilize their advanced technology. They were forced to adapt to inferior technology, and that was the final nail in their coffin. The Empire began to break apart, countless worlds completely revolting and breaking free, the Rakatans having no choice but to retreat, and retreat, and retreat, until they were forced back into their solar system."

"Even there, they were forced back even more, as the planets that they had first conquered became the last to secede from the Empire, driving the Rakatans all the way back to their homeworld of Lehor. Content with their victory and utter defeat of their former captors, the Rakatans were left to stagnate on their planet."

"Unfortunately, fate was not done toying with the Rakata. The few leaders that were left began squabbling over the remains of the Empire, vying for dominance that ultimately led to a final civil war that culminated in the destruction of the Empire around 25,200 years ago. So devastating was this war that it destroyed all the remaining cities, and fractured the landmasses, turning what didn't sink into the sea into a chain of islands. This finally drove the Rakata underground, where they remained until the rediscovery of the Star Forge by Revan and Malak, nearly 20,000 years later."

"After the destruction of the Star Forge, little to nothing is known of what became of the Rakata. There were so few left when Revan and Malak appeared to them the first time, and even fewer when Revan came back the second time. Even Revan believes they're extinct, by now."

Padme simply sat there, stunned into silence by the story she'd heared. An entire civilization...an entire government, rose to power and became the cruel taskmasters of the galaxy, only to have that galaxy turn on them and drive them into exile, and eventual extinction. She was speechless, except for one question.

"So...what's our next destination?"

XX

_**Rakatan System...**_

"There it is." Obi-Wan said.

He looked at Anko, who had conned him into letting her pilot. He had to admit that all three girls flew better than he did on his best day, even with the help of the Force.

"So that's the world momma talks about..." Kushina commented from her seat next to Padme.

"Your mom told you about this world?" Padme asked.

Kushina nodded, while Haku spoke up from another seat. "The Rakatans are all but extinct now, so it's home mostly to Gizka and Rancor."

"Be careful of the asteroids" Padme said from the back seat.

"Those aren't asteroids, Aunt Padme." Haku said. "They're bits and pieces of wreckage from the battles that took place here. It's...a graveyard." Haku said as she lowering her head solemnly, her hair hanging over her eyes.

"Four thousand years, and no one's bothered to clean this up?" Padme said in surprise.

Kushina spoke up next. "Its not that. Back then, the Republic wanted to cover up the events around momma's redemption and the near destruction of the Republic. It was hard for them to explain, as many in that time didn't understand what had occurred, and even more had never heard of the Rakata before. They figured it would be best to sweep the whole thing under the rug, and forget about it."

Anko snorted. "They made it into a historical site, but over time its' records were destroyed, and since it's off the major hyperspace routes…" she shrugged as her hands moved calmly over controls. "The wreckage is like a belt of asteroids, and the surface shouldn't be much better."

"It's more than likely been overrun by the jungle." Haku supplied.

"You three know a lot about this world." Obi-Wan said in surprise. "I hadn't even heard of the planet until today."

Kushina smiled. "Momma said it was best to know about her past, so she taught us about the worlds she's visited and the numerous species she's encountered."

"That's very impressive." Padme said, giving Kushina a hug. The eight-year old accepted it with a smile.

Anko shook her head as she maneuvered the yacht with ease through the field of debris. Obi-Wan and Padme looked at the wreckage of ancient Republic cruisers and Sith ships, half destroyed freighters and _Carrack-_class ships that looked as if you could fly them right out of the belt with no problem.

As they skimmed the atmosphere, Padme rose and stood behind Obi-Wan, putting a hand on his shoulder. Looking back at her, she gave him a warm smile, and he returned it, rubbing her hand with his own. They both looked out the cockpit and watched as the sun reflected brilliantly off the crystal blue waters, the remaining native wildlife alive with activity, despite the planet's violent and bloody past.

"Some of the ships that made it to the surface were converted by the planet itself into makeshift isles and reefs." Haku said as they flew over wreckage overgrown with vegetation

"There." Obi-Wan said, pointing at a large enclosed island, several beaches dotting the landscape.

Anko nodded as she brought the _Night Dagger_ in, the retro thrusters firing as she lowered the landing struts.

"Kushina, go power up HK." Haku told her sister. "I'll go get the scrolls with the camping gear."

Anko sighed as she powered down the engines. "Orders, Master Kenobi?" she asked looking at Obi-Wan.

"Well…" he stroked his beard. "While the others set up camp, we'll patrol the area and set up defenses." He said to Anko, who grinned. He watched as she unbuckled her safety harness and went to get her gear.

"Is that a good idea?" Padme asked.

Obi-Wan looked at her and grinned. "I'd be more worried about the well-being of anything we encounter. Naruto and Revan have taught them well. Naruto told me that his daughters would have graduated early from the Ninja Academy on his world, and would already been doing missions that we assign freshly graduated Jedi Knights."

Padme blinked. As Obi-Wan made his way to the landing ramp, she grabbed his arm to stop him. "You be careful." She ordered.

Obi-Wan nodded and took her hand in his, smiling as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "We'll be fine. Don't worry." He squeezed her hand to reassure her, and headed towards the back of the ship.

Padme watched him until he and Anko were entered the forest. Haku eventually called her over to show her how storage scrolls worked and she returned to camp, not completely convinced something wasn't going to happen.

XX

_**Space near the Bothawui and Falleen Territories...**_

Naruto scowled as he saw Skywalker's ship make another jump. It was tiring as Naruto was forced to jump and make a micro-jump to realign the readings before he followed the beacon on Skywalker's ship.

"_I hope Rev and the others are having more fun."_ He thought as he made another jump, and he vowed to never fly a starfighter again. "_They are just too damned cramped."_

XX

_**Onboard the **_**Millennium Falcon**_**...**_

Revan looked at the chronometer, and saw they had several hours left in transit to Kamino, so she went to get a mug of tea. She saw Qui-Gon was asleep on the bench. She knew the man was in his seventies and, unlike her and Naruto, he tired easily.

"Status?"

She turned sharply, and saw his eyes were still closed. She smirked. "I should have known better. Sneaky old man." She didn't rely on the Force like many Jedi did. On her ship and in the Temple, it was more of a passive, relaxed use.

"Well, since you're so concerned, it'll be at least another hour in hyperspace. I've searched the databases I've acquired, since I don't recall Kamino. Then again, in four thousand years, I've been to quite a few places."

Qui-Gon sat up. "Your contact...did he have anything else of use?"

Revan smirked. "You mean Dex?"

Qui-Gon Jinn blinked, then laughed. "I should have known."

"Anyway, we get to Kamino, and we'll most likely find Jango."

"You try contacting the Mandalorians?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I sent the signal, but there was no reply. Which isn't unusual. They could be anywhere in the galaxy, doing Force knows what." Revan said.

Qui Gon went to the kitchen, got his own tea, and sat down. "I've been meaning to ask..." Qui-Gon began. "You've spoken with Yoda about Obi-Wan being master to the twins. What are your thoughts for Kushina?"

Revan sipped her tea. "I know I can't be her master. And Naruto, despite all he has taught them, has little to no experience with the Force. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure she wants to be a Jedi. She seems more interested in Ninjutsu than Force techniques." Revan sipped her tea again, using the time to gather her thoughts.

"If I may?" Qui-Gon asked.

She nodded. "We have a youngling that I believe would benefit under your and Naruto's care. I'll introduce you to her after this is settled, but for Kushina…I know I might be on in years…"

Revan blinked, then smiled. "I could think of no one better. She does like to take things apart."

Qui-Gon smiled. "I do recall hearing of her 'adventure' in the archives. Jocasta Nu was not pleased with the dissembling of some of the library search systems."

Revan smiled, remembering the librarian scolding her and Kushina about proper library decorum inside the archives.

"Naruto and I are always keeping an eye on her. She had HK in pieces in the living room recently."

Qui-Gon laughed at this.

"I know what you're thinking. Even Mace tried to beat HK, and the first two times he lost." Revan said. "Heck, I **built** him, and there are STILL times HK surprises me. Naruto has taught him some things over the years and added to his arsenal, which makes him even more unpredictable."

Qui-Gon shuddered, but was interrupted from his morbid thoughts by a flashing light on a nearby console.

"Time to get to work." Revan said as she flicked the switch and headed for the cockpit.

Qui-Gon followed and was sitting down when Revan opened the comlink.

"**Rev? I don't know if you're getting this, but I'm going to broadcast it regardless. I'm above a world that R2 has identified as Geonosis. Skywalker has landed there. I've done a quick scan, and there are a LOT of Trade Federation ships on the surface. They've got **_**Hardcell**_**-class Interstellar Transports, and **_**Lucrehulk**_**-class Core Ships, and that's just the transports. From what I can tell, they've got some AAT's and MTT's, a couple of GAT's, a swarm of IG-227 **_**Hailfire-**_**class Droid Tanks, and at least 30 OG-9 Homing Spider Droids.**** I'm going in for a closer look, but this appears to be an enormous droid armada. I'll update as necessary. Naruto out."**

The message cut out and Revan scowled as something pricked the back of her mind, seemingly JUST out of reach, but very important.

"You better be careful." She muttered as she checked and they were entering the system where Kamino was supposed to be.

"Hang on." Revan said to Qui-Gon. Her thoughts, however, were with her husband.

XX

_**Rakatan Homeworld of Lehon...**_

Obi-Wan looked up as Anko came bursting through a pair of shrubs. "There you are. Now, what's-"

"RUN!" Anko yelled as she rushed into the dense foliage once more. Obi-Wan was about to question her as to why she was running in the first place when he heard a roar, and knew that he was not going to like the following events. "GET A MOVE ON, UNCLE BEN!"

Obi-Wan just leapt to his feet when a second roar, this time much louder, echoed through the foliage. He took off after Anko. Behind him, he could hear whatever was chasing them picking up it's pace, slowly gaining on them as it bulldozed a path straight for them.

"Anko, what the hell did you do?" Obi-Wan asked, his strides keeping pace with the younger girl. He could feel her using chakra to enhance her muscles, and watched as she leapt ahead again.

"I was just looking. I swear to KAMI I was just looking! I didn't touch it, I swear!" Anko replied.

"Touch what? Anko, what the devil did you do?"

They broke through a dense pocket of shrubbery, and Obi-Wan had to grab Anko's shirt collar to prevent her from hurtling head over heels off the cliff. Setting her down, he made sure she was okay before focusing on their current dilema.

"Not good." Obi-Wan muttered. Behind him, the sounds of trees breaking and bushes being crushed were growing louder.

Looking down the cliff, they could see the _Night Dagger_ where they'd last left it.

"We took a wrong turn." Anko muttered. She saw her sisters had placed several Kekkai Hojin jutsu around the encampment and over the entrance to the path they had used.

"Suggestions, Master?" Anko said as they heard the crashing get louder.

"Of all the times you choose to be proper, NOW is that time?" he asked her incredulously. Anko merely shrugged.

"Never takes responsibility when it comes down to it." Obi-Wan muttered, which got him a rather foxy grin.

The roar was even closer now. "You had to mess with a sleeping rancor, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?" He said with exasperation.

"It was cute when it was asleep." Anko protested.

As the rancor cleared the jungle foliage, Obi-Wan grabbed Anko and leapt over the side of the cliff, Anko laughing the whole way down. "We should do this again, sometime."

"_Just like her father. Why am I not surprised?" _Obi-Wan thought as he landed, kicking up a lot of sand as he used the Force to cushion their fall.

He looked up and saw the rancor staring at them. It gave a grunt of discontent, turned around, and stomped back through the jungle, more than likely to go back to sleep. He thanked the Force that it had given up.

"Obi-Wan?"

He turned to see Padme coming from the shade of the _Night Dagger_, carrying a blaster in her hand.

"We're fine. Anko tried to adopt a rancor, is all. It's not like there's anything serious going on."

Anko crossed her arms. "Nothing wrong with that. Dad's got-"

Haku was behind her in a flash, covering her twin's mouth with her hand before whispering in her ear.

Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow, his arms folded and 'That Look' on his face.

"Um…Ninja secrets." Anko said after her sister released her mouth.

"Go wash up." Padme said. She looked at Obi-Wan. "It seems you can't resist getting into trouble."

There was something in her eyes, but for the life of him he couldn't figure it out. So he answered with a shrug and a small grin.

Padme's hand twitched, and she looked like she was going to say something, but Kushina called to them, telling them that dinner was ready. With a nod, both adults went back to the campsite.

**Ch. 16 is up and finished. Kinda glad it's done, seeing as it was a overall uneventful chapter. Alas, boredom must come with the awesome. Regardless, this chapter is done, and you can look forward to more JKN:R goodness.**

**-Sgt. Assassin**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The Calm Before The Storm**

_**Lehon...**_

Padme shook her head in wonder. How Revan and Naruto managed to keep up with their children was anyone's guess. She tried keeping up with just Kushina, and the child was leaving her in the dust at practically every turn.

"_And to think, they raised all THREE of them." _Padme thought. Shaking her head again, she turned and watched Obi-Wan sparing with Anko and Haku, their practice sabers in a smooth wave of motion.

"_Although, I'm not surprised that he's got the ability to keep up with them. After all, he trained as a Jedi, so stamina should be expected. Plus, he's definitely muscular enough." _As she continued to watch them, her eyes took in his appearance. Obi-Wan was decked out in the traditional Jedi attire...up to the waist. Past that, he was wearing only a sleeveless gray muscle shirt.

Her eyes drifted to a particular part of the Jedi Master's anatomy. "_He does have a cute butt, though." _She thought. This caused her to turn a nice shade of pink, her thought process quickly spiraling in the...not-so-appropriate direction. Remembering the conversation she'd had with Revan prior to this, she swore the Jedi Master seemed intent on seeing how deep Padme could blush.

Snapping out of her reverie, she turned slightly to admonish the youngest Namikaze. "Kushina, leave HK alone." Padme scolded. The small child had been attempting to sneak up on the droid, taking advantage of its' preoccupation with guard duty.

"I was-" the eight year old began.

Padme shook her head. "Your mother made it very clear that you are not to take him apart again." Padme said. She recalled the long list of "Do's and Dont's" that Revan had issued her, and near the top of the list was fiddling with HK. It was worthy to note that the top of the Don't List was: Never let them out of your sight. Even if it's, "for just a second". Apparently, that was entirely true, as that "one second" turned out to be all Anko needed to try and adopt a new..."pet", Padme thought with a shiver.

_**Flashback...**_

Earlier in the day, Anko had conned Obi-Wan into letting them fishing for fresh fish. The Jedi Knight had agreed and they'd set up on one of the reefs off the beach.

Everything was going surprisingly smoothly, until Anko had managed to hook one of the wily fish. Now normally, this would have been no problem, seeing as they already had 3 on shore, ready to be cooked and eaten. This time, however, was different.

The fish darted back and forth under the water, the fishing line zigging and zagging its' way through the surface. Anko was doing her best to reel it in, while Obi-Wan watched with a smile.

Suddenly, the water went still, the line still taunt, but no movement occurring. Obi-Wan was about to suggest Anko cut the line, thinking she'd lost the fish and simply snagged a rock or weed next, when the water burst up and outwards, showering the two with gallons of freshwater.

Sputtering and flailing, Obi-Wan fell off the rock he'd been perched on, Anko letting go of the rod and falling backwards as well. Once the two got their bearings, and the explosion of water died down, they were face to face with a creature that Obi-Wan had only read about in the archives.

"SWEET! AN ACKLAY! Can I keep it, Ben? Can I?" came Anko's enthusiastic response to possible life-threatening peril.

Obi-Wan simply gaped, his eyes wide and mouth ajar, as the Acklay gave a shrill screech and began to make its' way to shore, its' six hardened claws digging into the mud as it propelled its' way through the shallows.

"AWESOME! It's so strong! Now I REALLY want it! So, can I keep it?" asked Anko.

Obi-Wan turned, and looked at Anko as if she had just asked him to jump off the Senatorial Building on Coruscant without a safety harness. His response died on his lips as the Acklay reached the shore, screeching again as it raised its' foreleg in an attempt to crush them.

Picking Anko up, Obi-Wan turned and booked, heading for the hills with Anko's jubilant laughter following as the claw came smashing down, the impact turning the hardened earth into fractured shale. Giving out another screech, this time in frustration, the Acklay followed.

"I SO do not get paid enough for this." Obi-Wan moaned. "Wait a second...I'm not getting paid ANYTHING for this! This is bull-"

He dove to the left, a second claw embedding itself where he once was. Landing on his side, Obi-Wan quickly leapt to his feet, setting Anko down next to him as he reached for his saber.

Before he could draw, Haku and Kushina were there, seeming to dance around the beast as it screeched in anger, its' limbs smashing the ground around it as it did its' best to turn the Namikaze children into paste.

"What happened?"

Turning, Obi-Wan nearly came face to face with Padme, her worried look boring into his eyes. He nearly blushed at the close proximity, but another screech broke him from such thoughts.

"Anko and I were fishing, she caught a fish, and from the way it all went down, I think this thing-"

"Acklay." came Anko's correction.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Right, Acklay...ate the fish on her line, but got caught on it when it ate the hook. That set it off, it burst out of the water, and chased us from the shoreline. The rest is...well...apparent." he finished, pointing to the giant green crustacean doing its' best to skewer Haku and Kushina.

Haku huffed in frustration, as her shuriken and kunai continued to reflect off the creature's armored exterior. "This is getting me nowhere. How are you faring, Kushina?"

Kushina shook her head, her microwire doing nothing to the hardened shell of the Acklay. "I can't cut through it. It's too tough."

Both nodded to one another, and leapt backwards, joining the others as the Acklay stopped and seemed to glare at them with fury.

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, hurling it at the beast. It raised one of its' legs to defend itself, but the blade cut through the limb like a knife though butter. As Obi-Wan called his saber back to him, the severed limb landed with a _**THUD**_, the Acklay's anguished screech following shortly as it stumbled backwards, the stump of its' leg twitching and quivering in pain.

"Well, at least we know lightsabers can cut it." said Padme.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Although, it probably won't fall for that trick twice, now that it knows my saber can injure it."

Screeching in pain, the Acklay stumbled forward, before breaking into a dead run, hobbling towards the group as fast as it could.

Padme raised her blaster, taking aim at the beast, but blinked as it went from a dead run to a rather sudden stop. Anko, Haku, and Kushina watched as it trembled slightly, before collapsing to the grassy ground in a heap, Obi-Wan's lightsaber hilt sticking out of its' forehead.

Calling his saber back to him, Obi-Wan blinked, then clipped it back to his belt. "Well, that was surprising. I honestly didn't think it'd just let me hit it like that."

Anko shrugged. "Maybe it was running so fast it couldn't dodge in time."

Haku nodded. "Or you could be just that good of a thrower."

Obi-Wan laughed, and ruffled Haku's hair, much to her annoyance. "Maybe."

Shaking her head, Padme looked at Kushina, noticing she'd said something. "I'm sorry, but I didn't quite catch what you'd said. Could you say it again?"

The child smiled at her and repeated her question. "When are you and Uncle Ben going to get married?"

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped, while Padme sputtered. "I…we...I mean…he's my friend, sweetie." She finally got out.

Kushina looked at her. "So? Mommie and daddy are friends."

Padme blinked, and tried again. "But he's a Jedi Knight, and the Code-." she began.

"So? Mom's a Jedi Master, and daddy is a Jedi Knight, Neo-Sannin, and former Hokage."

Padme didn't know what the last two were, but she was right, Naruto had been given the rank of Jedi Knight after the battle for Naboo, knighted by Master Yoda himself. She also didn't want to admit that a child of merely 8 years of age was systematically breaking apart each and every excuse she'd assembled to dissuade such Q&A sessions.

"Your dad and mom follow the Old Code." Padme countered. "Nowaday's Code strictly forbids-"

Kushina waved a hand. "They aren't THAT important, you know. They're more like guidelines to follow, rather than rules to obey."

Kushina had broken-_scratch that_-DESTROYED all the defenses that Padme had developed between her and Obi-Wan over the last ten years. Her safety nets were wiped out faster than Naruto devoured ramen at Dex's Diner.

Seeing that Padme had no more excuses left, Kushina, her mission accomplished, skipped after her sisters, who had already begun dragging the Acklay carcass back to camp. The former Queen of Naboo turned and looked at Obi-Wan, who was staring at nothing, his jaw still doing its' best to meet the ground below.

As if sensing her thoughts, he shook his head before turning it, his eyes meeting and locking with hers.

Padme felt her stomach twitch, and she just KNEW Revan must have put her children up to this. Right now, however, she couldn't find a reason to complain.

XX

_**The Oceanic World of Kamino...**_

Coming out of hyperspace, the _Millennium Falcon_ angled its' course, and began entering the atmosphere of the water-drenched planet of Kamino.

Shaking her head and chuckling to herself, Revan turned and regarded Qui-Gon. "There it is. Right where it should be. Our 'missing' planet, Kamino."

Qui-Gon nodded. "It appears Dex's information was correct." He sighed heavily, and at Revan's quizzical look, he responded. "It seems that I owe Obi-Wan a free meal at Dex's the next time we're back on Coruscant."

Revan laughed. "You thought Dex didn't know what he was talking about, huh? I thought you of all people would appreciate the knowledge of someone who's been around the bend a couple of times."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "So I thought. Apparently, I still have some things to learn."

Revan smiled, and turned back to the controls. "Apparently."

The _Millennium Falcon_ made its' way amidst the savage storm, arriving at the facility and carefully landing on the docking platform below.

Revan looked out as she powered the ship down. "I hate water planets." She muttered. Her time on Mannan had not been pleasant, for her time as a Sith Lord or a redeemed Jedi.

"It could be worse." Qui-Gon began.

"How so?"

"It could be a volcanic world."

Shaking her head, Revan gave him a look. "Your optimism needs work."

Qui-Gon smiled. "So I've been told."

Revan chuckled. "Remind me why I brought you along again?"

"Because I'm such good company."

Qui-Gon chuckled as she rolled her eyes and lowered the boarding ramp. "Rain, rain, go away." Revan muttered.

"Come again?" Qui-Gon asked as they pulled up the hoods of their robes and ran towards the docking pad's doors, splashing with each step.

"Nursery Rhyme." Revan said as the doors opened parted, letting them escape the torrential downpour outside. They were greeted by a tall, long-necked individual that Revan could only assume was a Kaminoan. Revan flipped her hood back, and shook the rain from her person as best she could, while Qui-Gon did the same. The short distance from the ship to the doors had them soaked.

"Master Jedi. Welcome. The Prime Minister is expecting you."

Revan and Qui-Gon wipe the rain from their faces and blinked, before exchanging looks.

"We're expected?" Qui-Gon asked.

The Kaminoan tips her head. "Of course. He is anxious to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now please, this way."

The pair of Jedi mask their surprise well, sharing another look before following the Kaminoan down the hallway.

XX

A door cycles open and the Kaminoan entered, followed by the Jedi. As they enter, the Prime Minister rises from his seat, nodding in their direction.

"May I present Lama Su, Prime Minister of Kamino." Taun We, the Kaminoan that guided them there begins, making the introductions. "And this is Master Jedi…" she began. Pausing, she frowned as she realized she never got the names of their guests.

Revan smiles and steps forward, bowing slightly before responding. "Revan Namikaze. My companion is Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn." she replied, Qui-Gon bowing as he was introduced.

Lama Su nodded before motioning to a pair of chairs nearby. "Please, have a seat. I trust you are going to enjoy your stay here." The Jedi took their seats while Taun We hovered nearby, in case she should be needed.

"We are quite pleased that you have arrived at the best part of the season." Lama Su began.

"_Best part of the season?" _Revan thought incredulously. "_That's it. I'm__ officially taking this world off my vacation list." _she thought.

"Thank you, Prime Minister. You make us feel most welcome." Qui-Gon spoke from his chair.

Lama Su nodded his head. "And now, onto business." He said. "You will be delighted to hear we are...on-schedule. 200,000 units are ready, with a million more well on the way."

Revan didn't miss a beat. "That's…good news." She said, improvising. Her ability to lie she blamed on her husband, although she was far older than him and had more experience with it. "_He loves me, and will take the blame for my bad habits like the sweet scapegoat-I mean husband he is." _Revan assured herself.

Lama Su seemed thrilled to hear this. "Please tell your Master Sifo Dyas that we have every confidence his order will be met on time and in full. He is well I hope?"

Revan blinked. "I'm sorry. Master…?"

"Jedi Master Sifo Dyas. He's still a leading member of the Jedi Council, is he not?"

Revan felt Qui-Gon tense, and she stiffened as well. Both knew that Sifo Dyas was killed 10 years ago, under mysterious circumstances. However, they needed to keep up the appearance of being in-the-know.

"Oh, yes. Sifo Dyas. Of course. Tell me, Prime Minister, when Master Sifo Dyas first contacted you about the army, did...did he say who it was for?"

Lama Su nodded. "Of course, he did. This army...is for the Republic."

He then rose from his seat. "But I digress. You must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself."

Revan stood as well. "That's, uh, why we're here." She said, her glance at Qui-Gon told him to follow her lead for now, until they knew more of what was going on.

XX

_**The Desert World of Geonosis...**_

Swooping in low, so as to avoid Trade Federation radar, Naruto landed in a ravine near a rock outcropping, on the outskirts of the concentrated formation of Core Ships.

Getting out of his borrowed starfighter, Naruto looked around. The rocky formations looked almost like termite mounds from back in Konoha, only much, much larger.

Turning to R2, he patted the astromech on the top of his dome. "Alright, R2, I'm going to be right back. I need to scout the area, but I need YOU to stay with the ship, and keep an eye out for any unwelcome intruders, okay?"

R2 beeped an affirmative, and Naruto smiled. "You know, R2, I like you. You and I make a good team."

R2 warbled a thanks, and Naruto patted him again before taking off, leaping over the croppings like an Olympic gymnast. Reaching the top of one of the mound-like structures, his next leap took him from one peak to the next, until he finally reached the edge of the massive encampment.

Upon reaching the first of the Core Ships, his Force senses went off, alerting him to a presence he'd not felt in ten years.

"_So...Count Dooku is here, as well. Why am I not surprised?"_ he thought, making his way to a nearby stalagmite. Upon entering a small opening, he entered a massive antechamber, sparsely decorated, but intricately carved. The designs appeared fragile, but when Naruto placed a hand on it, he found it almost as hard as steel.

"Hmm, this is some hard stuff. Interesting. I wonder what else is here, besides our old Jedi friend."

Walking around, he examined the intricacies and features of the chamber, taking in the fine detail and delicate work that went into the building of the structure. Coming to the other side of the circular walkway, he noticed a passage leading off into another area, and decided to see where it went.

Passing through the archway, he entered a small balcony, which overlooked a MASSIVE automated droid manufacturing plant, conveyor belts constantly moving pieces and parts while fusion cutters welded them together, droids being cranked out by the hundreds.

"_You have GOT to be kidding me. This isn't just a personal army for the Trade Federation. This is an invasion force. A freakin' armada! There must be over 100,000 droids here. And the target is the Republic. We're so screwed."_

A prickle in the Force had him moving down a nearby flight of stairs, and he was suddenly overlooking a walkway, where Count Dooku and members of the Trade Federation, Baktoid Armor Works, Techno Union, and the InterGalactic Banking Clan were conversing.

"We must persuade the Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance to sign the treaty." came the voice of Count Dooku.

"What about the Senator from Naboo?" came the voice of Nute Gunray. "Is she dead yet?"

"_SON OF A HUTT! I KNEW IT WAS THAT SLIMY NEIMOIDIAN BASTARD WAS BEHIND ALL OF IT!"_ cursed Naruto. While angry, he still managed to keep his emotions in check, and thus was still able to avoid detection by the Force-sensitive Count Dooku.

"I am not signing your treaty until I have her head on my desk." continued Gunray.

"I assure you, Viceroy, I am a man of my word. You will have your...trophy. I promise you this."

"With these new battle droids we built for you, you will have the finest army in the galaxy, Count." Came the automated voice of the Foreman of the Techno Union, Wat Tambor.

As the group proceeded into another room, Naruto skirted up a nearby flight of stairs, leading him into another small outlook, from where he could watch as the group gathered round and sat at a large table.

"As I explained to you earlier," began Count Dooku, addressing the gathered members of the Separatist movement. "I am quite convinced that 10,000 more systems will rally to our cause with your support, gentlemen."

Around the table, starting from Dooku's left were as follows:

Poggle the Lesser, the Archduke of Geonosis and leader of the Geonosians.

Shu Mai, the Presidente of the Commerce Guild and leader of the Gossam.

Wat Tambor, the Foreman of the Techno Union and leader of the Skakoans.

San Hill, the Munn Chairman of the InterGalactic Banking Clan and the leader of the Munns.

Tikkes, the Quarren Senator from Dac (the planet more commonly known as Mon Calamari).

Rogwa Wodrata, the Holwuff Senator of Alliga.

Finally, the ever-vigilant Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation and leader of the Nemodians.

"**What you are proposing could be construed as treason, Count.**" Shu Mai began, speaking in her native Gossam language. **"Nevertheless, we, on behalf of the Commerce Guild, pledge our support to your Separatist movement."**

"The Techno Union armies-" began Wat Tambor, before his suit interrupted him, requiring adjustment. Finishing his adjustments, he continued. "-are at your disposal, Count."

"The Banking Clan will sign your treaty." came San Hill's response.

"Good. Very good." Dooku said with approval, nodding to the representatives of the now fledgling Confederacy. "Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support, and when their battle droids are combined with yours," he said, looking at Wat Tambor in reference to his newer model battle droids, "we shall have an army greater than ANY in the galaxy."

"The Jedi...will be overwhelmed." Dooku continued. "The Republic will agree to ANY demands we make."

Shaking his head, Naruto had heard enough. Backing out slowly, he made his way out of the cavern, and proceeded back to the ship.

"_Revan and I were right not to trust him." _Naruto thought. "_That conniving snake is planning a war. One that the Republic, and the Jedi, can't hope to win. Not with that many battle droids. If we can't think of something quick, the Republic is SO boned."_

While he was deep in thought, he never noticed a Geonosian scout poke its' head out of one of the mounds, cock its' head to the side, and follow him. Upon his arrival at his ship's location, it made an abrupt U-turn, and sped back to the alcove.

XX

_**Coruscant, Chancellor's Office...**_

"I have tracked Anakin Skywalker to a remote droid foundry on Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a new droid army here, and it is clear that Viceroy Nute Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala. The Commerce Guild and Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku, who is spearheading this secession movement."

"**Certain are you, of this Separatist movement?" **the holographic visage ofYoda asked.

"Yes, Masters." Naruto replied. "There are multiple Core Ships here, and hundreds of droid manufacturing plants, cranking out hundreds of thousands of battle droids. They're creating a vast army, one that is poised to strike at the Republic."

"**And of young Skywalker?" **Yoda inquired.

"I don't know. He's here somewhere, and while I'd like to jump to the conclusion he's part of this, and it's certainly what my gut is telling me, without facts I am unsure as to his involvement."

Mace Windu spoke up. **"Skywalker is attached to the office of the Supreme Chancellor. Perhaps he is here trying to prevent a misunderstanding, or attempting to negotiate a peaceful settlement of hostilities."**

Naruto didn't say anything, but nodded. Ever since he'd seen Anakin again, his gut was screaming at him that the look in the boy's eyes reminded him of Sasuke. The anger, the resentment at the way life had treated him, and the torment that constantly plagued his soul from the day his clan was brutally wiped out.

All the suffering that Sasuke had endured was in his eyes, ever-present and constantly shimmering with knowledge of things no one wants to remember, things that no one wants to ever experience. Those same eyes were present in Anakin, and Naruto desperately wanted to save Anakin from a similar fate his pseudo brother had endured.

"Masters...I-" Naruto began, but stopped. Listening intently, he heard a rock shift. Waving his hand, the council watched as Naruto used the Force to flip the astromech ejection switch, and R2 was ejected from the ship.

"**Naruto, what's the matter?**" came Mace's voice.

"I don't know...something...isn't right." was the last thing the council heard, before blaster bolts sailed towards Naruto, the blonde deflecting them effortlessly but backing out of view of the projector. Entering the projector's view, were two Droidekas, flanked by multiple Geonosian scouts.

The council watched in stunned silence as one guard turned to the holoprojector and fired his sonic blaster at it. The connection was abruptly terminated, much to the council's horror. Mutterings began to echo throughout the room, many on speculations whether Naruto was alive or not.

XX

Hearing the sound of screeching metal, Naruto whipped his head around to watch his ship explode in a shower of debris and fire.

"OH FUCKING HELL!" roared Naruto. Whipping his hands together, he shot through hand seals, and used Futon: Daitoppa to push the Droidekas back, the lethal winds slicing apart several Geonosians that were too close to the droids.

This attack didn't harm the droids, courtesy of their shields, but it did force them to roll into a ball to avoid toppling over, which gave Naruto the perfect opportunity to take them out with his saber, slicing each droid in half before they could unfurl themselves.

"_Ben is going to KILL ME when he finds out I borrowed his brand new starfighter without his permission."_ thought Naruto, his lightsaber slicing and dicing anything that got too close.

Hearing a whine, he turned around and saw a Geonosian pointing his sonic blaster at him, then firing. Smirking, Naruto lifted his saber up and attempted to block or deflect it. He got a rather nasty surprise, however, when the blast passed his saber, and struck him square in the chest, the intense pressure combined with the auditory and sensory deprivation too much for the blonde, his exceptional hearing proving to be his downfall.

Slamming into the canyon wall, Naruto fell to his knees, then forward to the ground. Upon impact, he lay there, struggling to stay conscious. Just before he fell into darkness, the sound of boots crunching as they walked over gravel made its' way to his raw eardrums. Looking over, he was able to make out midnight black boots before darkness overtook him.

XX

_**Coruscant, Chancellor's Office...**_

"Disturbed, I am. What we just witnessed, grave it is." Yoda said solemnly, his worry for Naruto apparent. "More happening on Geonosis, than has been revealed, I feel.

Several senators had been present during the end of the transmission, one of which was Senator Organa. "The Trade Federation, Techno Union, Banking Clans, and the Commerce Guild are all preparing for war, there can be no doubt of that."

Palpatine nodded, having seen the end of the transmission as well, his visage one of worry and distress. "Count Dooku must have made a treaty with them, and others will more than likely follow."

"**Then the debate in the Senate is over. With this evidence, the Senate will unanimously vote for the creation of an army."** came the Malastarian senator's comment, in his own native language.

Organa turned on him. "Unfortunately, the debate is NOT over. The Senate will NEVER approve of the use of clones before the Separatist's attack."

"This is a crisis." spoke up Mas Amedda. "The Senate must vote the Chancellor emergency powers. He can then approve the creation of an army."

Palpatine looked away, seemingly disheartened. "But what senator would have the courage to propose such a radical ammendment?"

Amedda nodded. "If only...Senator Amidala...were here."

Palpatine nodded, and in the backround, Jar-Jar was deep in thought.

XX

_**The Senate Antechamber...**_

Mace and Yoda looked on as Jar-Jar made his plea to the Senate.

"Itsa CLEAR thesa Separatists made a PACT with thisa Federation. Senate...dellow felligates (I know, his speaking is crapshoot, but bear with me through this spellcheck nightmare)...in response to disa direct threat to de Republic...mesa propose...dat da Senate...give IMMEDIATELY, emergency powers to da Supreme Chancella'." (There, it's over. For the most part, we've finished destroying the English language.)

Around the chamber, various responses erupted. Most were clapping and cheering, some were indifferent to the whole matter, thinking it would never happen, and others were vigorously protesting, shouting and crying out their disapproval.

"ORDER! WE SHALL HAVE ORDER!" shouted Mas Amedda, doing his best to silence the crowd as Palpatine rose to adress the Senate.

"It is with GREAT reluctance, that I have agreed to this calling." began Palpatine, his visage one of reluctant acceptance. "I love democracy. I love the Republic. The power you give me, I WILL lay down when this crisis has abated."

The clapping and cheering began once again, as Palpatine continued. "And, as my first act with this new authority, I will create a Grand Army of the Republic, to counter the increasing threats of the Separatists."

Some objections were voiced, but they were drowned out by the overwhelming approval of the majority of the Senate. As the cheers, and for the opposition, jeers, continued, Mace turned to regard Yoda.

"It is done, then."

Yoda merely nodded.

"I will take what Jedi we have, and go to Geonosis to help Naruto." he continued.

"Also, to Qui-Gon and Revan, should we go. This clone army built in secret...most disturbing, it is." Yoda said.

Mace nodded. "I'll lead the rescue attempt on Geonosis."

"To Kamino, I shall go. This army that they have created for the Republic, see it, I will." Yoda replied.

Mace gave him a grin. "Which means YOU get to explain to Revan what happened with Naruto."

Yoda gave him a flat stare. "Funny, that is not. Therefore, tell her I will, that you have something to tell her."

Mace blinked, then paled. "You wouldn't."

Yoda slid off his perch and made his way to the exit.

"Master? You aren't serious, right?" Windu called. When no answer came back, he rushed after the surprisingly speedy Grand Master. "You wouldn't throw me under the hoverbus like that, right? Right? Master Yoda?"

XX

_**Kamino, Tipoca City, Cloning Chambers and Barracks...**_

Revan looked down at the clones with mixed emotions. Qui-Gon had sent a coded report to the council a while ago, informing them of the clone army and its' designated purpose (to serve the Republic), but her eyes had remained on the face of the clones the entire time.

Hundreds of thousands of men, all with the same face and a million more following. The mere idea gave her the chills. She had only seen Jango without his helmet once, and that was when Naruto wiped the floor with him on the _Mandalorian Dawn_. Still, the mere fact that she knew the person who'd been used as the template for all these clones unnerved her in a way that she couldn't describe.

Qui-Gon's voice broke her from her thoughts. "Very impressive."

"I'd hoped you'd be pleased." replied Lama Su. "Clones can think creatively and independently. You will find that they are immensely superior to droids."

Qui-Gon nodded, Revan once more deep in thought as the four strolled through the corridors. "We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. We also utilize advanced cellular growth in our clones, which allows them to grow at an accelerated rate." Pointing to a specific set of clones, Lama Su continued. "Take this group for instance. They were created about five years ago."

Looking down, Revan and Qui-Gon looked upon a group of, what appeared to be, twelve-year old boys. They were in a rather large classroom, going through varying material from starship repair manuals and weapons operations, to tactical procedures and maps of the known galaxy.

"I'm sorry, Prime Minister. I was lost in a train of thought. You mentioned something about growth acceleration?" asked Revan.

Lama Su nodded. "Oh, yes. It's essential. Otherwise, a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. With the acceleration, we can now do it in half the time."

Revan nodded. "I see."

Tan We led the group further down the hall, where they now overlooked a cafeteria, with much older looking clones sitting down to a meal and chatting amongst themselves.

"They are totally obedient, taking ANY order without question. We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than regular humanoids, but still capable of some independent thinking, which as I've already explained, makes them far superior to their droid competitors."

"Yes, yes...Prime Minister, if I may?" Revan began, receiving a nod in reply. "Where did you get the genetic material for the clones?" she asked, keeping up her facade of only knowing, 'Jedi Business'.

Lama Su waved his hand. "From a bounty hunter named Jango Fett."

Lama Su thought for a moment. "Oh? We keep him here. Apart from his payment, which is considerable I might add, Fett demanded only one thing: an unaltered clone for himself." Lama smiled slightly as he looked over at the duo. "Curious, isn't it?"

Qui-Gon blinked, his attention momentarily diverted below as several thousand clones were gathered around a circular conveyor belt, grabbing helmets that were distributed to go with the armor they were already wearing. Shaking his head, he turned back to the conversation at hand. "Unaltered?"

"Pure genetic replication. No tampering with the genetic profile or structure to make it more docile, and no growth acceleration."

Qui-Gon nodded, while Revan spoke up. "I should very much like to meet this Jango Fett. I have a couple of...questions...for him."

Lama Su nodded, not catching the slight pause in Revan's request. Tan We was the one who spoke up. "I would be very happy to arrange it for you."

The group reached the end of the hallway, and entered a massive assembly area. Revan's eyes widened considerably, and Qui-Gon gasped, doing his best impersonation of a goldfish.

While the area was massive, it was by no means massive enough, as tens, no hundreds of thousands of clone troopers, all filed in standard combat lines, were marching to their designated areas of assignment, a vast sea of white armored bodies flowing continuously across the floor, the duo barely able to catch a glimpse of the gray marble floor below.

Lama Su swelled with unimaginable pride, seeing the Jedi representatives stunned into silence. "_Magnificent_, aren't they?"

Tan We smiled in the background, and Revan turned to Qui-Gon. "I've only ever seen a display like this twice. Once, with the Star Forge, and the other when battle droids were being deployed from their MTT carriers on the Grassy Plains at the Battle of Naboo. Even then, they pale in comparison to what I'm seeing now."

Qui-Gon nodded, but held up a finger. "Remember, Revan. In reality, this is only 100,000 troops. As Lama Su pointed out, there are at least a million more on the way. This," he waved his hand to the massive assembly of clones, "is just the tip of the iceberg."

Revan nodded, a sinking feeling in her gut. "Why do I feel that there is more to this than meets the eye?"

XX

_**Kamino, Ticopa City, Apartment Complexes...**_

Pressing the doorbell, Tan We waited patiently while Revan and Qui-Gon stood behind her. Lama Su had to return to his duties, but wished them a wonderful stay on Kamino. Frankly, Revan was looking forward to leaving this waterhole and never coming back.

The door opened, and a young boy, no more than ten years old, stood in the doorway, an apathetic look on his face, which brightened slightly when he saw Tan We.

"Boba, is your father home?" asked Tan We.

"Yep." he replied, a small smile on his face.

"May we see him?" she asked.

It was then that Boba noticed the two figures behind Tan We. His demeanor soured slightly, but he nodded. "Sure."

Smiling softly, Tan We entered, followed by Qui-Gon and Revan. Upon re-entering the establishment, Boba called out to his father. "Dad! Tan We's here."

Looking around, Revan noticed the small and somewhat cramped size of the appartment, although it did have a somewhat pleasant feeling to it.

Hearing a door hiss open, the occupants of the room turned and were greeted with the sight of Jango Fett. He was dressed in a loose-fitting robin blue tunic and darker blue pants, a relaxed look on his face.

"Jango...welcome back." came Tan We's soothing voice. "Was your trip productive?"

Smiling and nodding to Tan We, his eyes scanned the room, falling onto Qui-Gon. His face took on a more serious, but not threatening appearance. Then his eyes locked onto a face he hadn't seen in ten years. The shock registered on his face, but Tan We seemed to not notice.

Quickly composing himself, he turned to Tan We. "Y-yes, uh, fairly."

Gesturing to the duo, Tan We made the introductions. "This is Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn and-"

"Revan..." Jango muttered.

Tan We smiled. "Oh, so you know them?"

Jango blinked. "I, uh...no, uh, she just reminded me of someone. What did you say her name was again?"

Tan We nodded. "That's understandable. This is Jedi Master Revan Namikaze."

Jango nodded back. "Uh, right, of course. So nice to meet the both of you."

Revan kept her face neutral, but inside she was smirking, relishing in making the seasoned bounty hunter sweat. "Likewise."

Tan We continued. "They've come to check on our progress."

Jango stalled. "Um...progress?"

Tan We smiled. "You know, the clone development process."

Jango nodded. "Right, of course."

Revan stepped forward, coming to within a few feet of the nervous bounty hunter. "I must say, your clones are _very_ impressive. You must be _so_ proud."

Jango swallowed, his nerves a wreck as he replied. "I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe."

Revan couldn't help the small smirk that appeared. "Ever made your way as far into the interior as Coruscant?"

Jango nodded. "Once or twice."

Revan's smirk widened. "Recently?"

Jango paled a little. "...Possibly."

Meanwhile, young Boba was watching the exchange intently, his curiosity flaring intensely.

"_Now to put the hook in him."_ thought Revan. "Then you must know Master Sifo Dyas."

Looking over to his son, Jango walked over to him causally. "**Go close the closet.**" he muttered to him in Mando'a. Nodding, Boba went and closed the closet door.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Revan asked, feigning ignorance. "_Something in the closet you don't want me to find? Do you really think I am stupid enough to forget the look of your armor? Get real, Jango."_

"Nothing, just talking to myself. Now, where were we? Ah yes, Master...?"

"Sifo Dyas." Revan repeated.

"Sifo Dyas...Sifo Dyas...hmm...I don't recall ever meeting anyone by that name..."

"Interesting." said Revan. "Is he not the Jedi who hired you for this job?"

Shaking his head, Jango smiled back at Revan. "Never heard of him until now."

"_Sure you haven't, and I'm really Jabba the Hutt in disguise."_ thought Revan. "Really? Is that so?"

"It is." came Jango's reply.

"Interesting...very interesting." said Revan.

Changing the topic, Jango tried to steer the conversation in a new direction. "Do you like your army, Masters?"

Qui-Gon spoke up, attempting to cool Revan's heels at the same time. "Yes, very much so. We are looking forward to seeing them in action."

Jango nodded. "They'll do their job well. I'll _personally_ guarantee that."

Qui-Gon smiled, grabbing Revan by the shoulder and leading her towards the exit. "Thank you for your time, Jango. We really appreciate it."

Fett nodded. "Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi or two."

Nodding back, Qui-Gon led Revan out the door, Tan We bowing to Jango before following.

Once outside, Revan shook Qui-Gon's hand from her shoulder. "What the hell, Jinn?"

"Keep your temper." The Jedi Master said.

"I'll keep my temper." Revan said. "You go and get the _Falcon_ ready to fly. We're going to have to cut our visit here short. He's going to bolt, I know it. And I want to be ready to pursue him when he does."

Qui-Gon nodded, and took the next left, heading for the platform where the _Falcon_ was parked. Continuing towards her and Qui-Gon's quarters, she entered them and began repacking things that, only hours ago, she'd unpacked, her expectations on a rather long and boring stay on Kamino cut blissfully short.

Although, she'd rather have had it happen under better circumstances. She knew, deep down, that Jango was going to rabbit. The question wasn't if, but simply when he decided to cut and run. Either way, she knew she'd be right on his tail the whole way.

XX

_**Kamino, Tipoca City...**_

Revan, accompanied by Tan We, reached the door to their platform as Tan We finished her instructions to Revan.

"...Tell your council that the first battalions are ready. And remind them: If they need more troops, it WILL take more time to grow them."

Revan smiled and nodded. "I won't forget. And thank you."

Tan We nodded, before turning and leaving. "No, thank you."

Revan looked out the door in the torrential downpour to see Qui-Gon racing towards her, the door parting and letting in his drenched figure.

"Have you finished the preparations?" she asked.

Qui-Gon gave her a look. "Yes, Master. Should I go fetch you a cup of tea while I'm at it?"

Revan smirked. "Actually, that would be nice." His glare only made her laugh.

"I'm just teasing, Qui-Gon. Still, the ship is ready?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but we've got a problem."

Revan frowned. "Lemme guess. Jango is prepping his ship, as well?"

Qui-Gon blinked. "How did you-"

She waved her hand, dismissing his question. "I knew from the moment he laid eyes on me that he was going to leave soon. I didn't think it would be this quick, though. I'm glad we got everything prepped beforehand."

Qui-Gon nodded. "So, should we attempt to apprehend him?"

Revan thought for a moment. "I think we need to try and chat with him again. Where's his landing platform?"

"This way." came his reply, and he lead Revan around like a dog on a leash, twisting and winding turns coming one after another until they came to a similar door, one leading to a similar platform, but a not-so-similar ship.

"_Jango's got himself a ship, all right. Where are the rest of the Mandalorians? Where is your father?" _she thought as she stepped out the doorway, not bothering with her hood as the rain had already soaked her robes strait to her skin.

As she made her way to the ship, the young clone- "_Boba."_ she reminded herself, came down the ramp, just finished loading the last of the cargo onboard. As she got closer, he noticed her presence and alerted his father.

"DAD, LOOK!"

She saw Jango turn, his dual WESTAR 34 blaster pistols halfway out of their holsters before realizing who it was. Letting them go, they slid back into their holsters as his hands fell to his side.

"Revan." Jango greeted, attempting to smooth things over with the Jedi Master. "What can I do-"

"You can start talking, Jango. What are you doing here? Where are the other Mandalorians?"

Jango shrugged. "Things have changed."

Revan saw the boy ease his way up the loading ramp. "Hold it right there, sparky. You're not going anywhere." Turning back to Jango, she continued. "What does Jaster think of this?" Revan asked.

She saw the boy easing backwards again, and a tick developed on her forehead. "**Stop where you are, or I will stop you myself.**" she spat in Mando'a. That halted him in his tracks, his eyes wide.

Turning back to Jango again, her next words died on her tongue. Jango's visage was clouded, his eyes seeming to water, a haunted look gleaming in his pupils.

Revan shook her head. "No...no, Jango. Don't say it-"

"He's dead, Revan...he died years ago."

Revan's heart stopped, and the air left her lungs. Jaster Mereel...dead? "H-how?"

Jango sighed, his gloved hand wiping his eyes. Turning to his son, he motioned for him to come down the ramp. "Come, Boba. We're not leaving just yet."

Nodding, Boba got his jacket and threw it over himself, doing his best to remain dry as Revan, Jango, and Boba went back inside the cloning facility.

XX

Upon entering the doorway, Qui-Gon Jinn immediately noticed Revan's distress. "Revan, what-"

"I'll tell you later, Qui-Gon. Jango, let's go."

Blinking, Qui-Gon watched as Revan and Jango entered a separate room, Jango instructing his son to remain by the seasoned Jedi Master.

As the door closed behind them, Revan sat down, Jango taking off his jetpack and following suit.

"What happened, Jango?"

Nodding, Jango sighed and wiped his face with his hand. "It was about 2 years after the Battle of Naboo. There had been some infighting amongst the clan, and it had dissolved into what we called the Mandolorian Civil War. It wasn't pretty. War never is, but this..." he shook his head.

"The clans pretty much split down the middle, one faction becoming the Death Watch, and the other became the True Mandalorians, under Jaster's leadership. The True Mandalorians were dedicated to taking our culture, one that was steeped in violence and bloodshed, and having it become more tame, more docile. I liked the idea of finally being able to settle down. Battle is good and all, but it becomes tiresome after a while. I am a true Mandalorian through and through, but I didn't see the need for conquest and galactic domination. Neither did Jaster."

"The Death Watch disagreed, however. They believed that we should return to our roots. Become the savage bloodthirsty conquerors we once were, and go on to attempt yet another galactic takeover. Naturally, pacifism and aggression disagree with one another, so infighting became prominent, and war was inevitable."

"Back and forth we went trading blows, Death Watch growing weaker and weaker with every tactical brilliance Jaster threw at them. The last battle we had with them saw their defeat...or so we thought."

As Revan watched, Jango seemed to draw in on himself, remembering sights and sounds he'd repressed all those years ago. "We thought we'd defeated the Death Watch, so Jaster refocused our faction, what we believed to be the only Mandalorian warrior faction left, on becoming a mercenary army, an army for hire. We were contacted by the Korda Defense Force, and they enlisted our help in rescuing some of their troops that were under attack by hostile locals."

"When we got there, the shit hit the fan from the get-go. Ion cannons knocked our ships from the sky, and most of us had to ride out the rough landing. From there, we were ambushed by Death Watch soldiers, new recruits that they'd convinced to help their cause. We took heavy casualties, and despite our attempted counter-attack, we were taking too many losses."

"Jaster ordered the retreat, but Montross..." At this, Revan blinked, remembering Jaster's second-in-command that had fought alongside her during the Battle of Grassy Plains. "...Montross wouldn't listen, and instead insisted that we press forward, convinced that we could win despite the fact that we were outgunned, outmanned, and outmaneuvered. Several minutes later, he was injured by a frag grenade, and Jaster had to go pull his ass out of the quagmire."

Revan smirked at that, but quickly became solemn with what followed. "I was able to use Montross' ill-guided attack as a diversion, and my squad and I went to the known location of the KDF troops. That...that was also...a trap. More Death Watch forces were lying in wait, and I lost half my squad before we knew what hit us. We were able to take them out, but the damage was done."

"Meanwhile, as the remainder of my squad and I fought our way back, Jaster had gotten Montross off the field, even more troops sacrificing themselves to cover their escape. Jaster sounded the retreat a second time, and we fell back, making our way back to the drop zone. It was there...it was there that..."

Jango choked up, tears now falling uncontrollably from his eyes. Revan began shedding tears, as well, having a good idea what came next. "A rocket came directly at them. Montross saw it, but Jaster didn't. Montross didn't even WARN my father! He simply used his jetpack to get out of the way, and my father took a hit to the leg, shattering it."

Jango's face became flush with anger. "My father PLEADED with Montross...he BEGGED him to help him! Not for his sake, but for MINE! And he LEFT HIM THERE! JUST LEFT HIM THERE TO DIE!"

Jango slammed his fist on the table, the steel squeaking and bending slightly. Revan didn't even need to look to know he'd broken his hand, and in multiple places, at that, but Jango didn't care. "HE COULD HAVE SAVED HIM! HE COULD HAVE SAVED JASTER! THEY **SLAUGHTERED** MY FATHER LIKE A **DOG**, AND MONTROSS DID **NOTHING** TO HELP HIM! **NOTHING!**"

Jango broke down completely, sobbing loudly as Revan embraced him, tears rolling down her face as Jango wailed in agony. She could feel his pain and suffering through the Force, and she could feel the wound on his heart, the one he'd managed to close all those years ago tear open, fresh pain flowing freely throughout him.

"I'm so sorry, Jango. I'm so sorry." came her choked reply. She could feel his tears soaking her freshly-dried robe, and that only made her cry harder, knowing that his adoptive father had been killed, and there was nothing Jango could do to stop it.

"I-I found him..." Jango choked out. "I...I found him laying there...bleeding...there was SO MUCH BLOOD! I-I tried to stop it...but we both knew...we both knew he was done...He..he told me what had happened...he told me how Montross betrayed him...how he left him there...then..."

Fresh tears began rolling down Jango's cheeks again. "...Then he told me how...how _proud_ he was of me...and that I had succeeded him...that I was able to survive where he couldn't...he said he was _so proud of me_...and...that he considered me...his real son...not merely his adoptive son...but his REAL SON...one he'd hoped to have take over his position as Mandalore...his last words were...'Make me proud, my son...make me proud.'...and he died..."

Jango composed himself the best he could, nodding to Revan as she let him go. "I carried his body back to the landing zone. Montross was there, trying to convince the survivors that we needed to heed Jaster's final order and head out. He even claimed that I perished trying to save him."

Revan's shock was apparent. Montross...the same Montross that had stood by her side ten years ago...had fallen so low. She found it hard to swallow, but she knew it was true.

Jango chuckled mirthlessly. "You should have seen the look on his face when I walked into that camp, carrying my father's lifeless body. I told them EXACTLY what happened. Montross tried to play it off, claiming that I was suffering from delusions, but he couldn't convince them. At blaster point, they begrudgingly exiled Montross, and the remaining survivors and I left."

Revan sat back in her chair, stunned beyond words. "I...I never knew. Jango...why didn't you contact me or Naruto?"

Jango shook his head. "We had to remain on the run. We couldn't risk communication, for fear that the Death Watch would find us. It didn't matter anyway. We were wiped out a year later on the planet of Galidraan, all except for me. I was, and am, the last True Mandalorian."

Revan shook her head somberly. "You should have contacted us. We could have helped-"

Jango waved his hand dismissively. "I didn't need it. After we were wiped out, I was sold into slavery by the Galidraan's govenor. I remained in slavery for two years aboard a spice transport on the Outer Rim. When I finally got out, I tracked down the remaining members of Death Watch and killed them all. Then I went after Montross."

"At the same time, I'd been contacted by a man named Tyranus. I was part-timing as a bounty hunter, and I'd become pretty good at it, too. He wanted me to hunt down a rogue Jedi by the name of Komari Vosa, and kill her. He offered five million credits as the reward, but he wanted her dead; he specifically told me I'd get nothing if I brought her to him alive, which I found strange. Nevertheless, I try and make it a policy to not question the client's requests, so I agreed."

"Along the way, I ran into Montross. Coincidence? No. Apparently, Tyranus made multiple offers to many bounty hunters; each time, the reward was five mil. Each time, it was strictly a death bounty. Either he thought that I couldn't get the job done, or he was making sure that this woman was dead, if not by me, then by some other bounty hunter."

"Both Montross and I quickly became the only hunters left, as Vosa either scared off or killed all the rest. All except one."

Revan put two and two together. "That's how you met Sam Wessel."

Jango nodded. "Yeah. She was good. Not as good as either me or Montross, but she was able to keep herself alive, and get the job done. Not many could do the same thing in her shoes. We formed an uneasy truce, one that solidified over time, and became hard as permacrete by the time we'd finished. To make an incredibly long story short, both Montross and I tracked Vosa to Kohlma, the graveyard moon of Bogden. We ended up fighting one another, and I came out on top. He died like a dog, just like my father had."

Revan cringed, feeling the sick satisfaction that Jango had gotten out of watching the old war horse bite the bullet. "After I killed him, I confronted Vosa and, with Zam's help at the end, killed her. I contacted Tyranus, and gave him the good news. He came, and inspected my...'handiwork'. He was impressed, and paid me the five mil. He wasn't done, though. Apparently, he'd organized the whole thing, as a contest of sorts."

Revan once again put the pieces together. "To find someone like you."

Jango nodded. "You catch on quick. Yeah, to find someone like me. He offered me even more credits if I'd come here, to Kamino. He wanted to use my genetics to create an army."

Revan nodded. "I gathered as much."

"The rest is pretty much history, Revan. As far as I know, the Mandalorians have recovered from the civil war, and have pretty much thrived under Jaster's teachings. Hell, we even have a senator in the Republic." he said, the last part coming out with a little disdain.

Shaking her head, Revan chuckled. "You can hunt bounties for a living, but politics makes you squeamish? Get real-" stopping mid-sentence, Revan seemed puzzled, then alarmed.

"What's wrong?" Jango asked.

"I've lost contact with my husband. I can't feel him right now."

Jango quirked an eyebrow. "You mean, you keep in contact with him all the time?"

Revan nodded. "Yeah...something must have happened."

Just then, Qui-Gon entered the room, Boba hot on his heels. "Revan, we've got a serious problem. I just received a message from Coruscant. It's a message that Naruto sent to the council. You better have a look for yourself."

Setting down a portable holo-imager, Qui-Gon inserted the datachip containing the message into the side. Watching the exact same message the council had, Revan felt a cold fear grip her stomach and give it a harsh squeeze. As soon as the message ended, she stood and began to leave the room, getting Qui-Gon and Jango to do the same.

"Revan? Where are you going? Revan?" asked Qui-Gon.

Stopping abruptly, she whirled on her heel and looked him dead in the eye. "Me? I'm going to save my husband, who for the life of him can't seem to stay out of trouble. You're coming with me." Turning to Jango, she blinked when he donned his helmet.

"Dad?" asked Boba, curious about his father's actions.

"Revan, if you don't mind, I think I'd like to tag along." Jango said.

Grinning, Revan slapped him on the shoulder, before turning and heading down the hall. "I wouldn't have it any other way...Mandalore."

The last part caused Jango to stumble on a clear walkway. Smirking under his visor, he rushed to catch up to the small group. "_Mandalore, huh? Damn, Revan. You really know how to kick a man into gear."_

XX

_**The Rakatan World of Lehon...**_

"ANKO, GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

Obi-Wan Kenobi looked up the beach to see Anko and Haku rushing out of the ship like death himself was hot on their heels, and shook his head.

"_What have they done now?" _he thought, then mentally smacked himself for setting himself up for whatever answer the Force gave him.

Padme came blazing out of the ship behind them, and the Jedi Master forgot to breathe as he watched her long, smooth legs eat up the distance between her and the Namikaze children.

Obi-Wan took a moment to study the Senator from Naboo, something he'd been doing more and more lately. The wrap-around skirt she wore alongside the simple top showed Obi-Wan Kenobi a lot of tantalizing (and in his mind, forbidden) flesh.

Laughter snapped him out of his somewhat questionable thoughts, and he looked at the twins again. They were still playing keep-away with Padme, but he now had a closer look at what they were keeping from her. It appeared to be a holo-recorder, one typically used for ship's logs and personal journals.

"You two give me that this instant!" Padme growled.

He realized their game was headed towards him, but the realization came too late to act upon. All he could do was watch as the children taunted her into making a leap for the recorder. Padme, eager to get her belonging back, obliged, and leapt at it, only to blink when it was yanked away mere inches from her outstretched hands.

She paled when, upon removal of the device from her vision, she realized she was on a rather abrupt collision course with a certain bearded Jedi, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Her face collided with his chest, and Obi-Wan gave an 'oof!' of surprise, the air leaving his lungs as Padme bulldozed her way into him, causing both parties to roll end over end until gravity decided they'd had enough. Padme lay on top of him, holding her head and wishing the world would stop spinning. Obi-Wan merely wished to breathe again.

Laughing even more, Anko and Haku turned to one another and nodded. Pressing the playback button on the recorder, they let the audio tape do the rest.

"**Another day on Lehon. Despite what Revan said of the place, it's so beautiful here. Aside from the wreckage dotting the landscape, it's an untouched paradise." **Padme's recorded image spoke. Obi-Wan felt Padme go absolutely still and he looked up at her. She was looking anywhere but him, and the blush on her cheeks told volumes about her current state of emotion.

**"Also, it's yet another day of looking at the man I adore...no, I've adored him as far back as ten years ago, during the Naboo crisis. I've always wondered what it would be like to be held by him...to kiss those lips. I know it's wrong to think these things, as I'm a senator and he's a Jedi, but Revan and Naruto have proven that just because you're a Jedi doesn't mean you're exempt from love. I...I really wonder if he likes me back. If he does...I...I really think we could have something special."**

Padme had her eyes closed in embarrasment and shame as the recording continued to play. She expected him to shove her off of him, to yell at her, to grab her shoulders and shake all the perverted thoughts from her head. When the recording ended, and nothing happened, she chanced a look.

Obi-Wan wasn't even remotely looking at the recorder. His eyes were fixed solely on her, and when she opened her eyes, and his locked onto hers, she felt as if he could see everything, understand everything, know everything about her, past, present, and future.

"O...Obi-Wan..." she began. She saw him lift his hand up, and he caressed her cheek, before drawing her in for their first kiss. As their lips met, both of them felt electricity run from their lips straight down their spines. Padme deepened the kiss, catching Obi-Wan off-guard with her eagerness, but he melted into it nonetheless.

Several yards away, Haku and Anko high-fived one another, grinning like they'd just won the lotto.

"Mission accomplished." Anko said.

"Not quite." Haku countered.

"But it's a start." Both twins turned to see Kushina with a grin, as well. "Here's what we're going to do next."

The three Namikaze children huddled together, and every so often a giggle could be heard. If Obi-Wan and Padme were paying attention, they would have probably been nervous as to what the three little hellions were plotting, but the pair were so lost in one another that a thermal detonator could have been set off next to them and they wouldn't have noticed a thing.

XX

_**Geonosis, Specialized Holding Cell...**_

Inside a Geonosian alcove,Naruto slowly came to with the uneasy feeling of weightlessness.

"_What the...aww, fucknuts. I really screwed myself this time. I had to get cocky, and I wound up buying the farm. Damn sonic weapons. Oh well, nothing I can do to change it now, so I might as well meet my folks."_

Opening his eyes, Naruto was greeted with the slowly revolving image of dark, dank rocky walls.

"_Huh, I always thought Heaven was much nicer looking. If that's what this looks like, I'm glad I'm not where the Kyuubi is right now."_

"Ah, Namikaze its nice of you to join us."

Blinking, Naruto tried to crane his neck to the side, but was unable to, his arms and legs...hell, he couldn't move his entire body.

"_Is that Kami? Why does he sound like a certain arrogant prick I used to know? Probably just a coincidence."_

As he slowly revolved in place, he finally came face-to-face with Count Dooku, his concerned and frowning visage greeting him.

"Wait a minute? Dooku? You're dead, too?"

Dooku blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Dead. You know, bit the blaster bolt, bought the farm, rode off into the sunset, took the eternal dirt nap, went out in a blaze of-"

"ENOUGH! I get it, I get it." Dooku shook his head. "No, I'm not dead, and neither are you."

"Really? Whew, that's a relief." he replied, causing Dooku to palm his face in exacerbation. "That being said, what am I doing here?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. For whatever reason, this is a mistake. Yes, a terrible mistake. They've gone too far this time. This is madness."

As Naruto continued to revolve, he managed to get a good enough look at his restraints. They were irons clamped onto his wrists, ankles, and neck, restricting his movements to little, if none at all. The force-field insured those little movements were all but suppressed.

"Do not worry, my friend. I will petition them for your immediate release."

Naruto blinked, then frowned. "Wait...so you're not the leader here?"

Dooku gave a shake of his head. "No, of course not. I was merely asked to come here and help smooth things over."

"Uh-huh...yeah, I'm going to pretend that you didn't just try and pull some fake-ass bullshit over my eyes like that, Dooku. Do you think I'm that stupid?"

Dooku opened his mouth, but Naruto interrupted. "You know what? Don't answer that. I probably won't like it, anyway."

Dooku chuckled. "Indeed."

Naruto looked at him again. "I hope this petition of yours won't take too long. I have work to do, after all."

Dooku looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Such as?"

Naruto grinned. "Oh, you know, the usual. Killing bad guys. Saving damsels in distress. Kicking ass, and taking names. You know, the whole deal."

Dooku looked at him. "I heard you've been quite successful in your endeavors. You've come a long way since you were brought from your homeworld. Where is it again?"

"Uranus." Naruto deadpanned. He would be damned if he let a suspected traitor learn the location of his home planet. Dooku shook his head.

"Well, regardless, you still haven't seriously answered my question."

"I've been tracking a certain Chancellor's aide. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

Dooku smirked. "As a matter of fact..." He snapped his fingers, and in the far corner lights snapped on, revealing Anakin Skywalker chained to the rock wall, the iron shackles not flattering to his persona in the least.

"Anakin? Dooku, what the HELL are you doing?"

Dooku shrugged. "The Chancellor sent his representative to conduct negotiations with the Geonosians. It seems apparent that the negotiations failed, doesn't it? The Geonosians were not impressed with his offer."

Naruto growled. "Tell me Dooku, why are you betraying the Republic? You were a Jedi-"

Dooku scowled. "It's not betrayal when we're talking about a system of government that is corrupt and dying."

"Yeah, uh-huh. Yet you and your Geonsian friends locked up the representative from the Supreme Chancellor. Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

Dooku gave him a look. "The Chancellor means well, but he is ignorant and incompetent. He has promised to cut the dead, rotten flesh from the goverment, but the bureaucrats are stronger than ever. My young friend, the Republic cannot be fixed. It is time to start over."

"The democratic process in the Republic is nothing but a sham, a shell game played on the voters to convince them that everything is fine, everything is better than ever under Palpatine's rule. It won't be long before the cult of greed called the Republic will lose even the PRETEXT of democracy and freedom. It is time to start over, my friend. THAT is what this Separatist movement is all about."

Naruto chuckled. "You expect me to believe that? I will not forsake all my wife and I have honored and worked for simply for a chance at creating the 'perfect government'. I've heard of your treaties with the Trade Federation, the Commerce Guilds and the others."

He shook his head. "Count, what is happening here is not government that has been bought out by business, it's business becoming government. I've been there. I've seen this happen time and time again, and each and every time it has failed. Quite horribly, I might add. It's never worked, and it never WILL work."

Dooku looked at him. "It's a shame my old apprentice isn't here. I could really use his help right now."

Naruto snorted. "Qui-Gon Jinn would see through the crap you're spewing and reject your ideals, as well. He might be a rebel with some of the crazy ideas he has, but betraying all you've known and fought for is not one of them. You, my 'friend', are simply insane."

Dooku chuckled. "Don't be so sure, my young Jedi. You forget that Qui-Gon Jinn was once MY apprentice. He knows all about the corruption in the senate, yes. Many individuals, Jedi or not, know of the ways of politicians, there can be no doubt of that. However, he wouldn't go along with it like he has if he had learned the TRUTH, as I have."

Naruto laughed. "The truth? And what, dear Count, is that?"

Dooku nodded. "Yes, the truth." He stopped in front of Naruto, looking him square in the eye before continuing his walk, keeping up with the ever-revolving Naruto. "What if I told you that the Republic, that government that you fought so hard to protect, was now under the direct control of the Dark Lord of the Sith?"

Naruto blinked. "That's not possible. The Jedi would be aware of such an event."

Dooku shook his head, chuckling again. "The Dark Side of the Force has clouded their vision, my friend." He continued to pace the room. "Hundreds of senators are now under the influence...of a Sith Lord called...Darth Sidious."

Naruto's face took on a determined look. "I don't believe you."

"The Viceroy of the Trade Federation was once in league with this Darth Sidious. But he was betrayed, ten years ago to be exact, BY the Dark Lord. He came to me for help, told me everything that had transpired during the invasion of Naboo."

Naruto's eyes widened. "_We were right...there WAS someone behind the Viceroy's brash attack on Naboo. We were also right in assuming the Sith still followed their Rule of Two. Apparently, we killed the apprentice. I hate to say this...but Dooku may just be telling the truth. If that is the case, the Republic is in deeper shit than we thought."_

Dooku grinned when he saw the startled look on Naruto's face. "Yes, you were there, weren't you? You know what I say is true."

Naruto shook his head, bringing himself out of his thoughts. "So what if I believe you? What is it that you want?"

Dooku leaned forward, his cape rustling as he got closer to Naruto. "You must join me, Namikaze. Together, we can recruit others to our cause, and we can return the Republic to the glorious democracy it once was! Together, we can root out the poisonous bureaucrats that taint our beloved government, and rebuild it to better serve the people!"

"Together, with your power and my connections, as well as the others that will undoubtedly join our cause, we can take our fight to the Sith Lord's very doorstep! With our combined might, we will sweep across the galaxy like an avenging sword, striking down the evil that stands in our way! With you as our commander, we will never lose a battle, never fall back, and we will take Coruscant as easily as walking across a bridge. After the capital has fallen, every other planet will fall in-line shortly. Together, we will DESTROY the Sith!"

Naruto seemed to think, and Dooku's heart swelled with eagerness. "_Yes, yes...if I can get Naruto to join us, we will be an unstoppable force! Wherever he would go, victory would surely follow. I MUST have him!"_

Naruto looked Dooku dead in the eyes. "No."

Dooku blinked. "No?"

Naruto nodded. "I was wondering why you simply up and left the Order ten years ago. Neither Revan or I, nor any other Jedi, even Yoda were able to figure out the reason. It seemed that you simply didn't want to be a Jedi anymore, and we respected that. So, we mourned the loss of a Jedi from our ranks, but we moved on, content that you would find something that would make you happy."

Dooku nodded. "And?"

Naruto's visage darkened. "I know why you left us, now. You were seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. You were promised power, power so great that you could change the galaxy as you saw fit. Power that would allow you to destroy the government we have now, and shape a new one as you believed a government SHOULD be."

Dooku's eyes seemed to take on a sinister glint to them. "So? What is your point?"

"It's rather simple, really. You've been LIED to, Dooku. All those promises of power, of change, were really lures to get you to join this 'Dark Lord', so that you would serve HIS purposes and HIS agendas. You're nothing more than a puppet to him, a means to an end."

Dooku snarled. "You lie!"

Naruto laughed. "You simple-minded fool. No, I do not lie. I know EXACTLY what I'm talking about."

Dooku swung his arm, his cape furling in rage. "You know NOTHING of what you speak!"

Naruto's laughter abruptly ended, and Dooku blinked. "I know nothing about it? Is that so?"

Dooku smirked. "Of course."

Naruto chuckled. "Tsk, tsk...let me share with you a story, Dooku. It's a story about a boy. A boy who was spurned by fate, and cast aside by fortune. A boy who drew the shortest straw imaginable in life, and was forced to live through it anyway. That boy...was me."

Dooku's eyes widened slightly, his interest peaked. "Go on."

"I was born into this world, and shortly thereafter I lost my parents. I became an orphan at the mere age of 1 day. As I grew up, many of the people I lived with despised me. They hated me for something I had no control over, something that I didn't do."

"I was scorned, spat upon, beaten, starved, hated, and abused. At the mere age of six, I had learned how to effectively evade mobs that were hell-bent on destroying me. Why? I had no clue, and I didn't learn why until much later."

"I grew up, and was finally admitted into the Academy. There, I met a boy. A boy who was just like me. A boy who was ALONE in the world, and had no one to comfort him. I considered this boy both a rival and a friend. Sometimes, I even pictured him as the brother I never had."

"Things changed, however. Soon, he was approached by a man. A man of great power, and of great evil. He promised my friend power. Power to avenge his family, that had been so cruelly taken from him. Unbeknownst to my friend, it was all a ruse to lure him into that man's clutches, for my friend had something that he desired above all else. A treasure that was passed down in his family for generations."

"My friend was consumed with the desire for revenge, and he accepted this man's offer. I tried to dissuade him, but I was too late. That day...was the day I lost my best friend. Not in body, but in spirit, in soul, in heart. He was never the same after that day. Dooku, do you know why I'm telling you this?"

Dooku remained silent. "Because you are following the EXACT SAME PATH! You are offering yourself to this man, this 'Dark Lord', for power. A false power, a sinister power, a DARK power. Power that has no reason to exist, except to destroy. Dark power can never create anything, at least, nothing that lasts. Dark power's only purpose, its' only reason for existing, is to destroy."

Dooku sighed. "So...you're saying you refuse to join our cause?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes, I refuse."

Dooku rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Pity. I was really looking forward to discovering the secrets to your powers."

He walked over towards the exit. As the door opened, he stopped, letting several Geonosian scientists pass him, followed by several more guards. Standing near the doorway, he folded his arms. "It may be difficult, then, to secure your release. In the meantime, I have no choice but to let their scientists...experiment...on you."

Naruto glared hatred at Dooku, even as the Geonosians deactivated the force field. "I also wouldn't attempt to use the Force, or even your special powers. You see, those cuffs on your person are suppression cuffs, designed to sap the energy of the user. Normally, only one cuff is needed for a person, even a Jedi Master. You are a wild card, however, so we elected to use more."

Naruto tried to use Futon chakra to cut his bonds, seeing the force field was down, but could only manage a slight breeze. "_Fuck, he's right. This shit is draining all of my chakra. Even if I have an unlimited supply, I can only produce so much at one time."_

Dooku proceeded to leave the room, even as Naruto's screams echoed through the hollow rock of the enclosure. Unbeknownst to all who were present, Anakin had been conscious through the whole thing, and he now had a much different outlook on the blonde. When the experimentation started, he closed his eyes tightly and looked away. He knew that the bloodcurdling screams would haunt him for the rest of his life, but he didn't want any images to go with them.

"_Maybe Naruto is right._" He thought, doing his best to not listen to the horrible noises a few feet away.

_**Alright, Chapter 17 completed. For those of you who believe that Naruto would never be taken down by a grunt, consider a couple of things. One, Naruto had never encountered a sonic blaster. EVER. He'd been told about them, but never encountered one personally. Knowledge is MUCH different than experience. Two, sonic blasters are VERY effective against both Jedi and Sith, because the weapon fires what's called a "sonic bolt" which when encountering a lightsaber, will bend around the blade and strike the target, despite intervention of the lightsaber's energy blade.**_

_**What's even worse is, if the conditions are right and both lightsaber and "sonic bolt" end up resonating at the exact same fequency, the results are catastrophic. The energies will meet, the frequencies will resonate and violently repel from one another, causing an explosion that will typically incapacitate and/or kill everyone in the vicinity, typically anywhere from 50 to 100 meters in diameter. The shockwave will usually resonate from 100 to 150 or even 200 meters in diameter, causing eardrums to burst, bones to shatter, solid objects such as flexiglass, permacrete, and even durasteel to bend, fracture, crack, break, or shatter altogether.**_

_**NOW you may be wondering this: If it is as lethal as you say it is, then why didn't Naruto simply explode when his saber came into contact with the bolt. That is very simple. Dooku ordered him captured, not killed. Sonic weapons typically have two settings:**_

_**Stun: Capable of disorienting the victim(s), disrupting equilibrium, causing unconsciousness, temporary, or in VERY RARE cases permanent, loss of hearing, and some physical damage to the body.**_

_**Kill: Capable of shattering the eardrum, causing the ears to bleed, causing internal organs to rupture, massive physical damage, intense pain, temporary or permanent hearing loss, death (no duh), and in the case with the sonic disruptor, atomization, which was why it was banned by the Galactic Republic as being the most violent hand-held sonic weapon ever created. Even most Sith refused to use it, due to the violent and gory way it killed its' victims (Hint: You got to watch them come apart).**_

_**(ex: Usage on the Bith species has been known to result in the victim's head exploding like a melon hit with a thermal detonator. Usage on the Sullustan species has been known to make their ears bleed at even the lowest set frequency.)**_

_**(Note: Watching someone scream with every fiber of their being as they are slowly and painfully demolecularized (forcibly taken/ripped apart at the molecular level) is incredibly hard to stomach, and most individuals would be forever scarred by that single moment in time.)**_

_**They say that, nowadays, being burned alive is the single most excruciating way to die, considering it burns every last one of your nerve endings until you die, more often from shock than not, as the body cannot handle that much sensory overload and goes catatonic. Take the severity of burning alive, and multiply it to the 100th power, and you get demolecularization. Personally, I wouldn't wish that type of demise on my worst enemy.**_

_**The Geonosian's weapons were set to Stun. Therefore, the damage that Naruto received was much less than the damage he would have received had it been set to Kill. Even if the weapon had been set to Kill, they were nowhere near the power level of a sonic disruptor. Naruto's healing factor would save him, regardless of the setting, but the only difference is how long it takes his body to repair itself.**_

_**That being said, I consider sonic weaponry some of the nastiest stuff in the galaxy, right up there with lethal pathogens, and the Sith.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: On The Horizon**

_**Lehon...**_

Padme was doing her best to keep up in a game of tag with the three children. Despite the fact that this happened to be their thirty-seventh game, she thought she was doing quite well. She had yet to collapse from exhaustion, so she considered that a good sign.

Her and the children's playtime was interrupted by a frantic-looking Obi-Wan. She was about to ask what was wrong when he simply grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the ship. This did not go unnoticed by the children.

"What do you think Uncle Ben is doing?" asked Kushina.

Anko grinned. "He's probably ready to get it on, with all the prodding I've been doing."

Haku smacked her twin's arm. "Anko..."

Anko blinked, then sighed. "Fine...all the prodding _we've_ been doing."

Haku smiled. "That's better."

Upon entering the ship, however, that turned out to be far from the case. The children had just entered the ship as Obi-Wan was speaking to Padme.

"...And I received this message from Naruto-" he was saying, before noticing the added presence of the Namikaze children. Noticing his pause, and seeing his gaze averted, Padme turned and saw the eager looks on their faces.

"What about daddy? What message did he send? Is it for us?" Kushina asked, clearly excited about any message from her father.

Anko scoffed. "He's probably just checking up on us, same as always." Haku nodded in agreement.

Obi-Wan's visage spoke otherwise. He sighed and sat down in the pilot's seat. "Since you three can't unhear what you've heard, I suppose you'll need to see this, too."

Padme turned to Obi-Wan, concern on her face. "See what?"

Obi-Wan flipped a switch, and the holo-projector came to life. Pressing a couple of buttons, he then hit a large green one, and the image of Naruto Namikaze came up.

As the message began, it was clear to Padme that Naruto was talking to the council. She was not entirely surprised to learn that Nute Gunray was behind the assassination attempts, but she was still wary of the Count, nonetheless.

As he continued to give his report, he seemed to shift quite a lot, and Padme could only guess that something was bothering him. It came to a head when he stopped mid-sentence, looking around as if he heard or saw something. She was shocked when he ignited his lightsaber, deflecting several blaster bolts aimed at his head, heart, and stomach. The children watched in silence as their father slowly backed away from the holoscreen, blaster bolts being deflected as he went.

Soon, the image of several Droidekas filled the screen, followed by several Geonosians. As the transceiver was blasted to pulp, they could barely make out their father fighting his way through the Geonosians, cutting though their exoskeletons with ease.

Obi-Wan spoke up. "I don't think the council saw anything more past the initial shot to the transceiver. I was able to clear it up enough that we can barely make out images, but any audio was lost in the static."

As they continued to watch, the Namikaze children gasped as they saw their dad take a sonic bolt to the chest, his lightsaber doing nothing to stop, deflect, or even slow it. He hit the rock wall hard, and Padme could only assume some bones broke upon impact. He slumped to his knees, then fell to the ground, struggling to get back up.

"Daddy!" cried Kushina.

Haku held onto her little sister, stroking her hair and whispering words of comfort. Anko stood there with her hands balled into fists, anger radiating from her person.

Padme watched as a figure in black strode towards the fallen blonde, his cape swirling behind him. She instantly recognized him, despite the blurred and static image.

"Dooku." she growled.

They saw him snap his fingers, and two Geonosians hauled the blonde up before dragging him off-screen. Dooku followed, but paused. Turning back to the ship, he walked directly over to the transceiver. Smirking, he pointed his hand, fingertips out, at the holo-imager, almost as if he knew it was still working, and fried it completely with what appeared to be electricity from his fingertips. The video cut completely after that, and all that could be seen was static.

Footsteps could be heard, and Obi-Wan turned to see Anko stomping out of the ship. Her sisters followed, and Obi-Wan was hot on their heels.

"Anko, what are you doing?" Haku asked.

Anko started kicking dirt on their campfire, burying it completely before removing the stones surrounding it, and hurling them into the woods. She then went about packing up camping equipment, all the while Obi-Wan watched with a concerned Padme at his side.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Haku? I'm packing us up, and getting us ready to leave."

Haku blinked. "So you mean-"

"Yep. We're going to Geonosis."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Nononono, you are NOT going to Geonosis. Did you not hear what Naruto said. There's a good 100,000 droids there AT LEAST. You can't possibly think you can take them all on by yourself."

Anko shook her head, her purple locks waving back and forth. "Nope, that's why you're coming with me."

Obi-Wan laughed outright. "And what makes you think I'm going to go to Geonosis?"

Anko looked at him and smirked. "Because you were charged with protecting not only Senator Amidala, but also us. I'm going to Geonosis, therefore you have to go there, as well."

Obi-Wan opened up his mouth to protest, but Haku joined her sister. "She's right. We're going."

Kushina was next. "Yeah, we're going, Uncle Ben."

Obi-Wan turned to his side, hoping to have Padme help him convince them it was a bad idea. When he didn't see her there, he turned and saw her standing behind the three children.

"I guess you're going to Geonosis, Obi."

Obi-Wan sputtered, his dislike of YET ANOTHER variation of his name mixed with his protests of their choice of destination. "I...we...you can't...I forbid..." he sighed. "Damn it all to hell..."

Anko whooped, while Kushina giggled and Haku grinned. Padme smiled, and walked over to Obi-Wan.

"Look at it this way. If you bear with us on this one, I'll owe you." she said with a smirk, before walking past him and heading back to the ship, her hips swaying slightly.

Obi-Wan blushed heavily, while the children laughed and set about packing up the camp. "_If they keep dragging me into these things, I'm not going to LIVE long enough to have grey hair."_

XX

_**Kamino...**_

"Revan, wait just a minute-"

"You can't keep me here, Qui-Gon!"

Qui-Gon sighed in exacerbation. "That's not the point! The point is I just received a message from Master Yoda."

THAT got her to stop. She turned around and regarded him. "Okay, you have my attention."

He rolled his eyes. "About time, too." At her frown, he cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, I'll keep it brief. Master Yoda is on his way here, to inspect the clones for himself."

Revan shrugged, turning once more. "So? He can inspect them without us."

Qui-Gon shook his head. "He's planning on taking the first battalions."

Revan paused, then turned her head. "Why?"

Qui-Gon grinned. "To assist your wayward husband, of course."

Revan reciprocated, her grin wide and pearly. "THAT'S what I like to hear."

The door to their quarters hissed open, and Jango walked in, helmet off and bearing a smirk of his own.

"There's someone here to see you, Revan. Care to guess who it is?"

"Guess not, she need to. Know already, she does."

Revan grinned even more as Yoda hobbled into the room. "About time you got here, Trog. I was getting ready to leave."

Yoda chuckled. "Worry not, Revan. Leave soon, we shall. Aid your husband on Geonosis, we will."

Revan nodded. "Master Yoda, this is Jango Fett, the man who's genetic template was used as the base for the cloning process."

Jango gave a curt bow, and Yoda nodded his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Jedi."

"And to you as well, Jango Fett. Your clones, most impressive, they are."

Jango grinned. "I do my part."

Yoda hummed, then turned back to Revan. "Time to gather the troops, it is. Notify the Prime Minister of our actions, we must."

Revan nodded. "Will do, master. Jango and I will begin rounding up all available troops."

Yoda nodded. "Then Qui-Gon and I, to the Prime Minister, we will go."

Qui-Gon fell in line with Yoda, and the two headed out the door to see Lama Su.

Revan turned to Jango, but Jango spoke up first. "Revan, there's something I need to confirm."

Revan quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Do you happen to have a picture or an image of a man named Dooku?"

Revan blinked, before pulling out a holo-emitter. Flipping though various photos of her friends and family, she finally came upon one of the only pictures to ever have a smiling Count Dooku in it. It was during a party they'd had several years ago for the twins, and Dooku had attended. He'd taken a photo with the twins, smiling for the camera as Anko and Haku held up peace signs and face-splitting grins.

"Is this who you're talking about?"

Jango seemed put off by a smiling Dooku, but nodded. "Yeah, that's him, all right."

Revan put the emitter away. "What about him?"

Jango shook his head. "I wasn't entirely sure about it, but now I am. Revan, remember when I said I was contacted by a man calling himself Tyranus?" Revan nodded. "I didn't tell you the whole name, did I?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"His full name was DARTH Tyranus, and he looked EXACTLY like the Count Dooku you have in that photo."

Revan blinked again, then her face darkened. "Jango, are you telling me that Darth Tyranus and Count Dooku are one in the same?"

Jango nodded. "I am."

Revan chuckled mirthlessly. "I see...now I know why I always got a bad feeling around him. We'll need to inform both Yoda and the council of this newest development." She turned on her heel and began to walk out the door.

"Revan."

She turned once more, but was unprepared for the kiss that Jango delivered. It was short and chaste, but had just a hint of longing in it. Before Revan could react, Jango put his helmet on, and strode out the door.

Revan blinked again, then charged out after him, catching up with him halfway down the hall.

"What the fuck was that, Fett?"

Jango angled his head slightly. "A good luck kiss. I figured I'd need it with the approaching hellstorm." Increasing his strides, he rounded a corner and headed straight for the barracks. "Now, let's go get some recruits."

Revan shook her head, but followed. "_If he tries that again, though, I'm taking his head off."_

XX

_**Lehon...**_

"A wormhole generator? Really?" asked Obi-Wan, his skepticism obvious.

"Yup." replied Kushina.

"The technology has been theorized, but never actually tested." began Padme. "But it was eventually disregarded as too dangerous."

"In theory, however, it's quite simple." stated Haku casually. "It was originally believed that nothing could travel faster than the speed of light, hence the term '_lightspeed'_. However, scientists theorized that they could bypass this. Take a shortcut, if you will."

Obi-Wan seemed confused, so Haku continued the explanation. Picking up a blade of grass, she showed it to Obi-Wan. "Think of this blade of grass as regular space. To get from one end to the other, we have to travel the length of it, correct?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "If we didn't have hyperdrive capabilities, we couldn't travel faster than the speed of light, so we'd be stuck going at a maximum set of speed. Even WITH hyperdrive, we can only go as fast as the hull can withstand. However, what if I did this?" With that, she took the blade of grass and bent it in half, letting both ends touch.

Obi-Wan blinked. "So we'd bend space?"

Padme chuckled, and Haku shook her head. "Not exactly. What we're going to do is take a shortcut. Instead of taking the scenic route- traveling the full length-we'll create a wormhole using a wormhole generator, connecting two separate areas of space together with a temporary pathway, thus allowing us to cross space in mere minutes what would normally take us days, even WITH hyperdrive."

Obi-Wan blinked again. "That's...brilliant! Why has no one done this before?"

Anko chuckled nervously in the background. "Hehehehehe...well, that's the thing...you see-"

"It HAS been attempted before." said Haku. "The result was that the wormhole collapsed, and the individuals inside were crushed by the closing of the passage, and spat back out into normal space with the consistency of Jawa Juice."

Obi-Wan paled. "So...they died?"

Haku nodded. "Horribly, I might add."

Obi-Wan shook his head vigorously. "NO WAY! I'm NOT about to become jelly for some random space travel experiment!"

Anko grabbed his arm. "This is the ONLY way we're going to get to Geonosis on-time to save our dad!"

Obi-Wan sighed. She was right, and he knew it. Lehon was in the Unknown Regions, which was on other side of the galaxy. Even if they were to hit every single hyperspace lane going as fast as they possibly could, they would still take at least 8 days to get to Geonosis. If what Haku was proposing worked, they could literally be there in a day.

Obi-Wan palmed his face, and sighed. "...If we were to do this, I want to know two things: First, how can we guarantee that the wormhole will not collapse, and if we do this, how can we guarantee that we won't come shooting out of a wormhole only to impact a planet at Force knows how fast?"

Anko grinned, then turned to Haku, who elected to explain. "We have a particle accelerator on-board the _Dagger_. As long as it continues to function, we should be able to create and sustain a small wormhole, big enough for one ship. As for direction of the wormhole, we can program the accelerator to open two holes at two specific locations. One to let us in, and one to let us out. Once again, this is all reliant on the generator's continued operation."

Obi-Wan nodded. "This all seems too easy. What's the catch?"

Haku and Anko looked at one another. Turning back to Obi-Wan, Haku gave him the bad news. "We had to cannibalize the hyperdrive."

"YOU WHAT?" roared Obi-Wan, shocking the children and causing Padme to take a step back in surprise. "IF THIS DOESN'T WORK, DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE US TO GET BACK TO CORUSCANT?"

Anko waved it off. "Relax. It'll work. Trust me."

Obi-Wan moaned and palmed his face heavily. "Did you have to destroy the sublight drive, too?"

Haku shook her head. "No. All the parts that we needed were in the hyperdrive. Besides, we need the sublight drive to power the ship."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Good. At least we will be able to travel from planet to planet. Where are we going to come out?"

As the occupants boarded the ship, the _Night Dagger_ slowly lifted off, making a bid for open space. "We're planning on coming out in the Corellian system. We can acquire a new hyperdrive there, and then use the Corellian Trade Route to get to Geonosis. It should only take approximately 28 hrs. to arrive."

Obi-Wan nodded, strapping himself into the pilot's chair, Haku near the cobbled particle accelerator, Padme in the co-pilot's seat, Anko on the guns, and Kushina in the navigator's chair. "Well, if this doesn't work, it was nice knowing all of you."

Anko laughed. "I love the way you look at the positive side of things, Uncle Ben."

Kushina smiled. "Don't worry, Ben. Haku is really smart. She knows what she's doing."

Padme patted Obi-Wan's knee. "I'm sure this will all work out."

Obi-Wan smiled at her as Haku activated the accelerator. As they shot into the light blue wormhole, he was praying to whatever god may be out there that he didn't come out the other side as Jawa Juice.

XX

_**Geonosis...**_

Upon completion of the wormhole, they'd shot into it. Thus began the wildest ride of Obi-Wan's life (to-date, at least). It only lasted several minutes, but when they exited the wormhole, it snapped shut behind them, almost like the jaws of a Nexu. Looking through the viewport, Obi-Wan couldn't believe his eyes.

Before him lay Corellia. They'd literally traveled hundreds of thousands of lightyears in approximately 3.5 minutes. IT WORKED!

Haku's voice broke him out of his awe. "I'm glad it worked, because there's not going to be a return trip the same way." Turning, Obi-Wan regarded the smoking and half-melted remains of the particle accelerator.

Obi-Wan put the pieces together. "That's why people aren't using it. Despite the fact that, with proper equipment, it IS possible to create a wormhole, it's unstable."

Haku nodded. "Correct. Plus, the hard fact of having to tear apart a hyperdrive every time to make one proves too costly for most everyone. Combined with the fact that successful travel is 1 in 10,000, and most would rather avoid it altogether."

Obi-Wan gulped, but was able to remain calm. "_We already got through. We're fine...I'm never doing that again, though."_

After their trip through the wormhole, they landed in one of the market sectors of Corellia, and managed to obtain a new hyperdrive fairly quickly. From there, it was a several hour flight on the Corellian Trade Route, until they branched away from it and headed towards Geonosis.

Now, they were flying along the surface, skirting the ravines as they headed towards the last known location of Naruto. Pointing to a column of vents, Padme spoke up. "See those columns of steam straight ahead? They're exhaust vents of some type."

Haku nodded. "Probably for the droid foundaries that dad mentioned."

Obi-Wan agreed. "That'll do."

Angling the ship, Anko manuevered the ship so that they could descend inside the vent. Anko had once again convinced Obi-Wan to let her fly, and he relented, only because he hated flying himself.

Upon landing inside the vent, they lowered the boarding ramp, and proceeded to disembark. Padme pulled Obi-Wan off to the side before he could leave.

"Padme?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Look...whatever happens out there, follow my lead, okay?" she asked. "I'm not interested in getting into a war. As a member of the Senate, maybe I can find a diplomatic solution to this mess."

"Oh don't worry, Senator. I've _long_ given up on trying to argue with you." said Obi-Wan, a grin plastered on his face.

Padme playfully swatted his chest, then kissed him deeply. Obi-Wan reciprocated, and the two were lost in one another...until a cough interrupted them.

Breaking the kiss, they both turned to see Anko tapping her foot impatiently. "If you guys want to fuck, do it later. We've gotta save my dad first."

Both parties blushed, Obi-Wan realizing he was palming one of Padme's breasts rather heatedly, while Padme realized she was groping Obi-Wan's butt rather provocatively. They quickly broke apart, heading down the ramp past Anko.

Turning and following, Anko's grin was visible despite the steam. "_Almost there. Just gotta push them a little more, and they'll be humping like rabbits."_

XX

Upon exiting the ship, the quintet met a rather large metal door. Obi-Wan pushed a button, and it opened with a whir. Entering, the group struggled to adjust to the darkness around them. Upon doing so, they found themselves in a narrow passageway. As they walked down it, fluttering of wings and several chirps could be heard.

Anko looked to Haku, who looked to Kushina, who looked to Padme, who looked to Obi-Wan, who merely took his lightsaber out and flung it behind him, bisecting an approaching Geonosian worker.

Turning around, Haku flung several shuriken, which quickly became dozens of throwing stars, mowing down another 4 bugs. Kushina flung a few kunai, taking down another Geonosian and severely wounding another. Anko went through several hand seals before inhaling. "_Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"_

The resulting fireball, though not gigantic in size, was large enough to catch multiple Geonosians in the attack, searing flesh and charring bone before eradicating them completely. The fireball continued, swallowing up more bugs before impacting with an alcove, exploding and rocking the foundation.

Padme was making her way along the hallway, the door opening when she tripped the proximity sensor. At encouragement from Obi-Wan, she entered the doorway, only to find that it stopped rather short, and terminated in a massive droid factory.

Obi-Wan followed, stopping short when he noticed the lack of walkway. The children followed, Anko blowing a last fireball at the Geonosians before leaping through the doorway.

"Kinda cramped up here, isn't it?" asked Anko.

Obi-Wan nodded, before the walkway started to pull back into the wall. Turning around, the quintet found the door locked fast. All but Obi-Wan fell onto the conveyor belt, Obi-Wan hanging onto the door jam out of instinct.

"This is going to end badly, I just KNOW it!" groaned Obi-Wan. Leaping down, he landed on the same conveyor belt, and ignited his saber again, slicing through several mechanical arms, working his way towards the children and Padme, who were doing their best to avoid getting pierced/sliced/chopped/soldiered.

Geonosian warriors began to converge on the group, some doing kamikaze charges and others using sonic blasters. The Namikaze children were weaving around Padme, slicing and dicing any who got too close. Meanwhile, Padme would use her blaster to knock out the Geonosians from a distance.

Obi-Wan had worked his way to the children and Padme, his lightsaber a blur of motion as he sliced organic and mechanic alike. Upon reaching them, he holstered his lightsaber and closed his eyes, his hands aimed at them. About to ask what Obi-Wan was up to, Padme suddenly found herself levitating, the children laughing as they were lifted up as well.

Obi-Wan was concentrating, and concentrating hard. He managed to get them to a nearby platform, and let them down softly. He then leapt up and joined them. As soon as he landed, he was hit from behind, his scream coming out in gasps as his body lit up like a christmas tree, before he slumped to the ground unconscious.

"BEN!" cried Padme. "UNCLE BEN!" cried the Namikaze children. Fury in their eyes, they looked up into the eyes of a smug Count Dooku, who was flanked by five Droidekas and several Geonosian warriors.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk...Senator Amidala, didn't your parents ever teach you that breaking and entering is wrong?"

"Didn't your parents teach you that committing high treason is wrong, Dooku?" fired back Padme.

Dooku laughed, using the Force to levitate Obi-Wan and hurl him at the group. Padme caught him and stroked his cheek worriedly.

Dooku grinned. "Don't worry. I merely knocked him out, is all. Wouldn't want to rough him up before your execution, now would I?"

Snapping his fingers, Dooku turned on his heel and left, the Droidekas and Geonosians leading the quintet away. All the while, Padme did her best to half carry Obi-Wan's unconscious body as they were lead to their cells.

XX

_**Geonosis, Gladitorial Arena, Two Days Later...**_

A massive gladitorial arena was the main source of entertainment for the Geonosians. Prisoners would be tossed in together to fight to the death, or simply tossed in there to be torn apart by one of the many vicious creatures housed in its' depths. Over the millenia, the harsh environment of Geonosis' surface forced the inhabitants to adapt to its' cruel, unforgiving lifestyle or die off. By adapting to the harshness of the surface, the Geonosians became harsh and cruel themselves, reveling in the blood and gore that came with the coliseum.

In one of the many archways, Obi-Wan and Padme were chained to a skiff, the Geonosians securing the pull bars to an Orray. The Namikaze children were chained to a second skiff that was connected to the first.

Obi-Wan turned to the children. "Don't worry. I'll think of something. We'll get out of this in no time, and rescue your father."

Anko looked at him, eyes defiant in the face of death. "I'm not afraid to die." Haku and Kushina nodded in agreement.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Of course not. I would expect nothing less from my soon-to-be-apprentices."

Anko and Haku blinked, then smiled. "Really? You're going to be our Master?"

Obi-Wan grinned. "Of course. Your parents already talked it over, and they made their decision."

Kushina blinked. "What about me, Uncle Ben?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "You're still too young to be apprenticed, Kushina. But don't worry. I'm sure you'll get a nice person as a master." She smiled back and nodded.

"Ben." came Padme's voice. Turning, he was met with a desperate look in her eyes.

"Padme, it's going to be okay." he reassured her.

She nodded. "I know it is...because..."

"Because what?" he asked.

"Because I love you." She replied, and without warning, pulled him into a deep kiss. His surprise was quickly replaced with love, and he kissed her back, even as the Orray groaned, and pulled them forward, entering the arena to the roaring cheers of the crowd. The children's skiff followed, entering the arena next as the crowd erupted in chittering excitement and deafening, thunderous applause.

Six rock pillars were positioned in the center of the arena, the last three smaller than the others, and obviously made for the children. Naruto was chained to the far right pillar, and his eyes widened when he saw the quintet being led into the arena.

"Ben, Padme...girls...what the FUCK are you doing here?" he roared, his bonds creaking as he strained against the seven lenghts of durasteel-reinforced chain. Dust and sand drifted down from the top of the pillar, an indication that the pillar itself was moving slightly.

Anko, who passes her father next, smiles. "Don't worry, dad. We're here to rescue you!"

Naruto deadpanned. "How's that working out for you, dear?"

Anko blinked, then rubbed the back of her head, a textbook Naruto manuever. "Hehehe...well, we still haven't worked out all the kinks yet."

Naruto shook his head. "I can see that."

Obi-Wan was chained next to Naruto, and Padme next to Obi-Wan. Anko was chained behind Naruto, Haku behind Obi-Wan, and Kushina behind Padme.

"Naruto, I swear I told them to stay put. I tried to convince them-" began Obi-Wan.

"Don't bother, Ben. I know how manipulative my brats can be." said Naruto with a grin. "You don't have to tell me in order for me to know they tricked/blackmailed/forced you into this. Although, I think your girlfriend may have had a hand in it, too."

"Yeah, she did." conceded Obi-Wan. Naruto gaped at Obi-Wan, causing him to raise an eyebrow in question.

"What?" he asked.

"You...you didn't correct me." Naruto muttered.

"Huh?" asked Obi-Wan.

"I called Padme your girlfriend, and you didn't correct me. You ALWAYS correct me! ALWAYS!" came Naruto's incredulous reply.

Obi-Wan sweatdropped, and chuckled. "Uh, well...we're sorta...together, now."

Naruto laughed. "Ohohohoh...wait 'till I tell Revan this."

Obi-Wan shrugged. "Well, when we get you out of here, you can make all the jokes you like."

Naruto looked at Obi-Wan. "Oh yeah. My daughter told me that you lot elected, through majority vote of course, to try and save me." He looked up at his bonds, then back at Obi-Wan. "Good job, by the way."

As they watched, Poggle the Lesser, Nute Gunray, his advisor Rune Haako, and Count Dooku entered onto the Archducal Viewing Box, Poggle waving and speaking to his people as they cheered and clapped.

"**These six have been charged with espionage and murder. Their sentence is death."** he spoke. **"Let the execution begin."**

The crowd roared its' approval as the gates holding several creatures opened. The first to enter the arena was a Reek, the large, thick-skinned beast roaring as it entered the arena. Following closely was an Acklay, the green-skinned crustacean screeching as it entered.

"Fuck, not again." groaned Obi-Wan.

Finally, a Nexu leapt into the arena, the agile feline creature snarling and growling. A Geonosian mounted guard prodded it with his static pike, and it turned on him, pouncing and knocking him off his mount, its' massive jaws snapping on the bug's head with a sickening crunch. It shook its' head several times, crunching down further as it dragged the body off to the side and began to devour it.

"I've got a feeling that this is not going to go well." came Obi-Wan's response to imminent demise.

"Ben, Ben, Ben...have I taught you nothing." chided Naruto, his hands rubbing his wrists as he stepped over to Obi-Wan, getting the Jedi Master to blink in shock. "Never underestimate a ninja."

Obi-Wan turned to Padme. "Did you see...that?" He blinked again, watching Padme use a hidden lockpick to break free of her shackles.

Naruto chuckled, watching Padme use her chains to scale the rocky structure. "Looks like your girlfriend seems to be on top of things."

Hearing a roar, Naruto turned and came face to face with a rather agitated Reek, the creature snorting and pawing the ground.

"Now, now, let's not be hasty there, fella. No need to get testy."

Turning his attention to his own problems, Obi-Wan jerked to the side, the Acklay's giant claw barely missing his head. Swinging its' other claw, Obi-Wan managed to angle his chain to intercept it, the metal snapping like a twig and freeing the Jedi Master. He ducked and rolled as the beast snapped at him with its' needle-like teeth, its' many legs pounding the sand and dirt as it attempted to stomp the Jedi to death.

The children, meanwhile, were busy putting the Nexu in its' place, the beast rolled over on its' back, panting like a cat, purring and growling as Anko, Haku, and Kushina proceeded to rub its' belly.

"Who's a good little kitty? You are, yes you are!" cooed Kushina.

"You were right, Kushina." Haku conceded. "I never thought petting it would actually work."

"Meh, it's just a giant kitty cat. Besides, what animal doesn't like having its' belly pet?" said Anko.

Haku pointed to the Acklay currently attempting to kill Obi-Wan. "I think that one doesn't."

Anko shrugged. "Meh, it's just ill-tempered. Give me a week with it, and I'll have it eating fish out of my hand."

"Hopefully without eating your hand, as well." came Haku's reply.

XX

Meanwhile, across the way, Naruto was laughing as the Reek chase him around the outside of the arena.

"You're kinda fast for a big guy, aren't you?" he taunted, leaping forward a bit as it tried to gore him with its' frontal horn. "Sorry, sorry! Geez, you remind me of Chouji whenever someone called him fat." Even now, Naruto shuddered when he though of that Sound ninja who taunted his weight, and ended up a smear on the ground. "_We learned VERY quickly to NEVER call Chouji fat, unless we wanted to spend a few days in the hospital."_

In the center of the arena, Obi-Wan was ducking and weaving, the Acklay continuing to become enraged as it stomped and snapped, screeching as it slammed into Obi-Wan's pillar, the structure cracking and breaking under the weight, falling within inches of Obi-Wan's head. Blinking, he looked at the creature as it screeched and climbed over the fallen pillar, forcing Obi-Wan to run yet again.

The excitement in the crowd was palpable, having not witnessed a fight this good in probably years. The longer it dragged on, the more their bloodlust was satiated. Although they were quite confused as to why a full-grown Nexu was acting like a common housecat when it came to the children. Watching Obi-Wan and Naruto run around the arena avoiding trampling or impalement was pretty amusing, however.

Naruto sighed, his 50th lap around the arena doing nothing to ease his boredom. The Reek was starting to slow, as well, huffing and wheezing indicating its' failing strength. Coming to a rest alonside one of the pillars, Naruto squared off with the exhausted Reek.

"So, are we finally going to calm down?" he asked it.

It's growl followed by a complete collapse into unconsciousness was his response.

"Hmm, didn't think I ran it _that_ hard. Oh well, better get Padme down from that pillar, then go save the Nexu from the children. I might even pay a visit to dear old Benny Boy when I'm done."

Turning, Naruto began to walk upwards, using the air as a set of stairs much to the amazement of all present. Getting level with Padme, he picked her up and leapt to the ground. "Level 1: Jewelry, Household Appliances, and Swimming Equipment." he quipped.

Padme batted his arm, and he let her down. "You and your jokes." she chuckled, before heading over to the children.

Naruto turned to regard Obi-Wan, who at this point was hoofing it around the arena much like he had been previously, only with an Acklay on his tail instead of a Reek.

XX

Obi-Wan was having a bad day. Scratch that, he was having a bad _week_. He'd been dragged to a planet that had been all but lost to the galaxy at large, practically tricked into getting close to Padme (that part he actually enjoyed), once more dragged to another planet, electrocuted by a former Jedi Master, thrust into a gladitorial arena by bloodthirsty bugs, and now he was having to run for his life against what he now considered the Dark Side of the Force in creature form.

"Blasted creature...LEAVE ME ALONE!" he cried out in frustration. The Acklay gave an equally frustrated screech, probably something about him holding still. Obi-Wan heard a whooshing sound, and looked to his left.

"Beautiful day out for a stroll, isn't it?" Naruto asked, a huge grin on his face.

"Cut the crap, Naruto, and get me out of these cuffs."

Naruto grinned, and in seconds Obi-Wan's shackles were in pieces on the sand.

"Okay, now that you have your freedom, what are you going to do with it, Ben? Go to Disneyland?"

Obi-Wan gave him a questioning look. "What? No! I'm going to let you deal with this Sithspawn of a creature, and I'm going to go help Padme and your children."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" asked Naruto. Upon receiving a glare, he sighed. "Go. Have fun. Try not to get in any more trouble."

Obi-Wan grinned and slapped Naruto on the back, causing him to stumble and lose his footing. He ended up in a roll, bumping against the arena wall. Looking up, Naruto saw the Acklay give a screech and follow him, figuring a downed prisoner was better than a running one.

Naruto managed to get to his feet, leaping out of the way as the Acklay buried its' talon into the wall where his head had been.

Meanwhile, in the Archduke's Viewing Box, Nute Gunray was in a rage. "THIS **ISN'T **HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE!" he roared.

Count Dooku looked at where his trusty servant, Jango Fett, was supposed to be. "_Where the hell is he? He was supposed to be here hours ago." _he thought. "_Well, no matter. I have other means at my disposal."_

Dooku waved his hand in a gesture of comfort. "Patience, Viceroy, patience. She will die, along with all the others." On the inside, however, Dooku was not feeling as confident. "_I knew we should have just killed them outright, but the Viceroy wanted a public execution, and Poggle seconded it, feeling it would boost his soldiers morale. I shouldn't have listened. Now Naruto is free, and who knows what he's going to do. This is bad."_

Gates on either side of the arena opened, and Droidekas came rolling out, seven surrounding Padme and the children, three surrounding Obi-Wan, and twelve surrounding Naruto, Dooku taking no chances with the former Hokage. The remaining Geonosian riders were able to corral the Acklay, and prod the Reek back into its' gate, the metal bars slamming shut as it disappeared into the darkness.

Suddenly, a purple lightsaber ignited, the blade inches from the Viceroy's neck. Dooku turned and regarded the whimpering Viceroy, before turning and confronting his assailant.

"So nice of you to join us...Revan."

_**CLIFFHANGER! Revan has arrived to assist her beloved husband. I know you probably will hate me for doing that, but if I don't put a cliffy in every now and again, you start to assume you're safe, and we can't have that happening, now can we? (Hint: I'm evil!)**_

_**Well, I've officially branched away from ESM's story, and I hope I can have your continued support as I go where only several million Star Wars/Naruto fans have gone before. VAGUENESS AWAITS YOU!**_

_**I'm just joking. But seriously, I hope you guys continue to read and like this story.**_

_**-Sgt. Assassin, signing out.**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Attack Of The Clones**

Sweat trickled down his face, sliding down his cheekbones before dripping down, the droplet meeting its' untimely demise on the purple blade mere inches from Nute Gunray's neck.

"So nice of you to join us...Revan."

Revan's glare told Dooku the feeling wasn't mutual. "The party's over, Dooku. Order your droids to stand down, or the Viceroy here..." At this, she nudged her saber against his skin, causing him to yelp. "...is going to lose a little off the top."

Panicked, scared eyes bore into Dooku's, the Viceroy not saying a word but _begging_ him to do as she asked. Sighing, Dooku shook his head. "Revan, I believe it was you who turned Jango against me, wasn't it?"

Blinking, Revan started at the complete change of topic. Before she could respond, the sound of rockets rang through the air, and Jango, decked in full battle gear, landed on the platform.

"Sorry I'm late, sir. I was...held up." came Jango's reply, his voice carrying the same emotion as the visor on his helmet.

Nodding, Dooku rubbed his beard, before turning back to Revan. "So, is this your game? Get me to believe he's still on my side, and lure me into a trap? You think too little of me, Namikaze." Igniting his saber, Dooku spun, his red blade making a beeline for Jango's neck.

Jango could only watch as the former Jedi Master brought his blade to bear, his years of training and experience paling in comparison with Force-enhanced speed and reflexes. So it came as a surprise to Jango when the red blade stopped mere inches from his neck, another red saber blocking its' path.

"Revan..." Jango breathed, his heart racing with adrenaline as the Jedi Master blocked the Sith's strike, not able to stand by and watch her friend cut to pieces. However, this was the intended outcome, as that freed the Viceroy from Revan's grasp, allowing him and Poggle to flee into the bowels of the Colosseum.

As Jango backed away from the dueling Force-users, Dooku laughed. "Jango, did you really think that you were the only bounty hunter with caliber on my payroll?" Jango's eyes widened inside his helmet, before the sound of a rifle echoed through the arena, the bolt whipping past Jango's head and leaving a scorch mark on the side of his helmet, Jango having narrowly dodged the bolt.

Up in the stands, Aurra Sing cursed, knowing that her one easy shot was just wasted. Tossing her sniper rifle to the side, she pulled out a blaster rifle and began firing, knowing that she wouldn't hit her client even if she targeted him directly, but hoping the random blaster fire would clip Jango.

Cursing in Mando, Jango launched into the air, raining blaster fire down on Sing, only to skillfully maneuver to avoid return fire. A stray bolt clipped his jetpack, sending him spinning down to the arena below. Knowing his pack was a lost cause, Jango desided to put what was left to good use. Aiming the rocket at the group of Droidekas surrounding Naruto, Jango fired, destroying six of the twelve surrounding the ninja.

Hitting the release button, Jango jettisoned away from his damaged equipment, the 80 pound missile taking dead aim at the remaining droidekas. Naruto paled, seeing the unguided jetpack heading straight for him. The droidekas didn't seem to care, opting to keep their focus on him instead.

Naruto, however, did very much care. Leaping forward, he dove to the ground, covering his head as the jetpack soared overhead, slamming into the middle of the remaining droidekas and exploding, ripping though them as their shields weren't strong enough to deal with the massive explosion.

Looking up, Naruto watched Jango skid along the sand, bouncing several times before tucking and rolling, coming to a stop on his knees. Giving Naruto a nod, he pulled his blasters and started firing again, several more droidekas going down in sparks before they could even turn around. Using Hirashin, Naruto took care of the rest without so much as a twitch on his part, the remaining droidekas falling to pieces around the former captives.

Jango turned just in time to have his helmet rocked by a blaster bolt, sending him sprawling to the ground, his blaster knocked out of his hand by the hit. Smirking, Aurra Sing sauntered over, placing her boot onto Jango's chest as he reached for his blaster. Grinning wickedly, she kicked his blaster away, sending it skittering over the ground out of reach.

"So, this is how it ends. The so-called, 'Greatest Bounty Hunter in the Galaxy' lying defeated at my hand. I find it rather amusing, don't you, Jango Fett?"

Chuckling, Jango nodded his head. "Yeah, I find it amusing. Amusing that you thought you could beat me." At her curious look, he pulled his right hand out from behind him, his second blaster pointed directly at her, and without a word, he pegged Sing right between the eyes, her look of horror at being outmatched disappearing as she slumped to the ground, paler in death than in life.

Groaning, Jango rolled over, picking himself up and retrieving his blaster, holstering it before walking over to Sing's corpse, pegging her in the head once more to make sure she was dead. Looking around, he noticed the gates were opening, and he could hear the sound of metal clanking against one another.

"Well, fuck. Now we've really gone and done it." he groaned, picking up his dented helmet and putting it back on. "Oh, well. Nothing we can do about it. Let's go cap some clankers."

Meanwhile, Revan was still saber-locked with Count Dooku, the two watching the bounty hunters duke it out. Revan grinned as Jango pulled a fast one, catching Sing off-guard and killing her in one swift stroke, causing Dooku to frown.

"Jango told me you were looking for the best to recruit for your cloning process. I think you chose wisely, seeing as he took your friend out with little trouble."

Chuckling, Dooku nodded. "I'll agree to that, my dear. Jango is of a rare breed. The fact that you turned him against me is most painful, but I'm sure that I will find a suitable replacement with time."

Revan laughed. "With time? Your time is up, Dooku. This day will see your death."

Dooku's reply was interrupted by another timely arrival. "Sorry I'm late, Revan. I had a bit of recruiting to do."

Looking over, the two were greeted by Jedi Master Mace Windu, his purple lightsaber already ignited as he glared at Dooku. Snarling, Dooku broke the lock, spinning his saber to force the two Masters back a bit. Looking around, the Sith Lord saw Jedi around the stadium reveal themselves and ignite their sabers, causing chaos in the stands as Geonosians began scrambling for the exits.

Looking at the several hundred Jedi assembled in the arena, Dooku shook his head and sheathed his saber, chuckling once again. "Brave...but foolish, my old Jedi friends. Despite your efforts, you are all hopelessly outnumbered."

Mace did his best to hide a grin, while Revan laughed outright. "Really? Us outnumbered? Do you really think so low of the Jedi, now that you've become a Sith?"

Dooku shook his head. "Not at all. I think very highly of the Jedi Order, and I believe it has much strength in its' ranks. However, **I** have the advantage."

Mace scoffed. "I don't think so."

The sounds of clanking metal reached their ears, and Dooku grinned. "We'll see."

Both Jedi turned, and regarded the entrance, Dooku casually walking off as Super Battle Droids filled the entrance, their wrist blasters pointed directly at the two and began firing, forcing them to leap off the platform or be riddled with holes. Around the stadium, chaos ensued as hundreds of Jedi began combating thousands of battle droids, B1 and B2 alike spraying blaster bolts as the Jedi sliced and diced their way through the ranks.

A Jedi tossed Obi-Wan a blue saber, which he used to remove his bonds and those of the children. Meanwhile, Padme ran over and started rummaging through the debris, coming up with a droideka's repeater blaster, the battery and cartridge still attached to the weapon.

Holding it like a chain gun, Padme began spraying the crowd, dozens of battle droids falling as she used the droideka's nearly endless supply of blaster bolts to riddle the machines with holes. Meanwhile, Anko, Haku, and Kushina were doing their part to thin out the ranks, kunai, shuriken and microwire shredding battle droids left and right.

Geonosian warriors began entering the fray, their sonic weaponry devastating the Jedi ranks, their sabers doing nothing to stop the waves of sound being blasted in their direction. Some of the more experienced Jedi were able to combat it by getting in close, avoiding the fire and cutting off the source. However, several LR1K sonic cannons were in the arena, and their shots were causing severe casualties, taking out 3-5 Jedi with every blast.

Jango was in the thick of it, rolling, ducking, and weaving as he dodged all forms of weaponry and assault, his twin blasters cutting though Geonosian and battle droid alike. He'd long ago decided his helmet was a lost cause, and had discarded it, his vision now unobstructed as he cut a swath of death through the field. Revan was right by his side, deflecting blaster bolts left and right as she occasionally used the Force to wipe an entire section of foes clean.

Regarding his bad luck to the will of the Force, Obi-Wan continued to work with Mace and Padme, the three watching one another's backs as they continued to fight to stay alive. Turning to Padme, Obi-Wan regarded her determined look.

"So, I was wondering...do you call this a diplomatic solution?" he asked, deflecting a blaster bolt back at the Super Battle Droid that shot it, taking off its' left arm. To his relative surprise, it kept firing, not even remotely concerned about the missing limb.

Grinning, Padme pegged the same B2 between the neuro processors, watching it slump to the ground. "Hmm...I'd call this...aggressive negotiations."

Chuckling, Obi-Wan shook his head, and concentrated on taking down his next target. The droids in front of him suddenly began backing away, "Uh-oh." and "Roger-Roger." being heard before he heard an all-too familiar screech.

Mace and Padme backed away, watching as Obi-Wan turned around and growled, causing their eyes to widen. The Acklay raised its' claw, preparing to kill the Jedi Master. It didn't count on one thing: a pissed-off Obi-Wan.

"I...have...FUCKING...HAD IT!" he roared. The creature roared back, and swung its' claw at him. Obi-Wan easily sliced it off, causing the creature to scream in agony. But Obi-Wan was not done. He charged forward, a roar leaving his mouth as he began hacking at the creature, limbs flying as the Acklay backpedaled furiously, trying to get away as its' prey became the predator.

Slicing off its' second foreleg, Obi-Wan watched as the creature was brought down by gravity. He swung again, slicing off the lower half of the Acklay's jaw, causing it to screech louder in pain. Rotating his saber in his hand, he arced it up, slicing into the creature's shoulder.

He then drove the saber deep into its' ribcage, the creature gurgling in pain as he drug his embedded saber across its' collarbone, before pulling it out again. Finally, he twirled his blade and stabbed the Acklay in the head, ramming his lightsaber as deep as it could go before bisecting the head, it's final, agonized screams cut off abruptly as he sliced it's head in two.

Naruto was a monster on the battlefield, clones with sabers carving into the enemy mercilessly as the original wove a maelstrom of destruction and mayhem through their ranks, dual sabers constantly in motion. Looking around him, he could tell that they were going to lose this fight if things didn't change. They'd managed to remove the sonic cannons as a threat, killing the Geonosian operators and driving the rest of the winged creatures to flee.

Now there were just battle droids to worry about, although the B2's were proving to be much better than their predecessors, able to take multiple blaster bolts and still come back for more. Looking to his left, Naruto watched as a B1 took a bolt to the chest, staggering it. It was regaining its' balance, until it was unceremoniously slammed aside by a B2, the droid moving to take its' place as it opened up with its' wrist blasters.

Despite Naruto's efforts, the damage was taking its' toll. Slowly, the overwhelming onslaught of wave after wave after never-ending wave of battle droids, combined with the new B2's, were whittling away at the Jedi ranks.

For every 100 battle droids that fell, one Jedi was caught off-guard and slain. However, with the unending ranks of battle droids, the odds were steadily pushing in the droids' favor, driving the remaining survivors into a tightly knit circle, the wounded at the center as the rest did their best to fend off the continued onslaught.

Back on the platform, Count Dooku, flanked by the Viceroy, several B2 Battle Droids, and Poggle, raised his hand. Without a word, every single droid ceased fire, causing the arena to fall deathly silent, save for the continued humming of ignited lightsabers. Approximately 30 of the nearly 200 Jedi that entered the ring were left standing.

As the fighting reached a temporary ceasefire, Obi-Wan Kenobi bent to check on a fallen comrade, only to shake his head when he found no pulse. Padme looked on sadly as Obi-Wan closed the Knight's eyes, and put his lightsaber onto his chest, folding his hands on top of it.

"**Master Windu**" came the projected voice of Count Dooku "**you have fought galliantly. Worthy of recognition in the Archives of the Jedi Order, no doubt. Now...it is finished."** As Dooku spoke, several Geonosians led captured Jedi to the arena, releasing them to their comrades. Jango looked over at Revan, then at Naruto.

"I never thought it would end this way, Namikaze." he admitted. "I always thought I would die old and wealthy on some popular Core World, like Coruscant."

Naruto grinned. "Life never works the way you want it to, does it?"

Jango barked a short laugh. "No, it doesn't. You married Revan, didn't you?"

"**Surrender,"** Dooku continued, "**and your lives will be spared."**

Naruto glared at the Sith Lord. "We will NOT be hostages to be bartered, Dooku."

Dooku seemed genuinely sad at this. "**Then...I'm sorry...my old friend."**

With those words, the battle droids trained their weapons on the remaining survivors, ready to blast them into oblivion where they stood. The Jedi prepared themselves, ready to take as many droids as they could with them.

Suddenly, Padme's voice rang out. "Look!"

All activity stopped, and the survivors looked to see several LAAT/i Gunships (Low-Altitude Assault Transport/infantry) swooping in, being led by Jango's _Slave I_, with Boba behind the controls.

"THAT'S MY BOY!" cried Jango, a huge grin plastered on his face. _Slave I'_s turbolaser cannons started it off, opening fire on the crowded battle droids. Forced to change targets, all battle droids immediately pointed to the sky and returned fire, only to be met with superior firepower in the form of the LAAT/i 's turbolaser batteries, their beam cannons carving swaths of death through the surrounding area.

Aboard the lead gunship, Yoda was giving commands to the rest of the squadron. "Around the survivors, a perimeter create." Getting a nod, Yoda watched as the fighting down below resumed, the survivors returning volleys of blaster fire as battle droids began to refocus on them.

The gunships landed, with _Slave I_ the first to land, its' landing ramp only halfway down as Jango shot up it. Never in his life had he been so glad to see his beloved ship, having truly believed he was about to die. _"Guess that good-luck kiss from Revan really WAS lucky, after all."_ he thought, before being attacked by his son, Boba wrapping his arms around his father's waist.

"DAD!" Boba cried, tears running down the little boy's face. "I thought I'd lost you."

Returning the hug, Jango knelt by his son, looking him in the eyes. "You won't lose me, son. I promise."

Boba nodded, before moving so his father could get in the pilot's chair, _Slave I_ rocketing off to join the battle already forming on Geonosis' surface.

Meanwhile, the gunships had created a perimeter, the clones leaping off to lay down covering fire as the survivors were loaded onto the ships, several clones sacrificing themselves so the Jedi could get onboard. With all the survivors loaded safely, the ships took off, peppering the area with more laser fire as they departed. Shaking his head in disgust, Dooku turned swiftly and left the arena.

_**Republic LZ on Geonosis...**_

Passing over the landing zone, Mace could see the Acclamator Assault Cruisers on the surface, deploying more LAAT/i's and AT-TE's (All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer) as they assembled on the about-to-be-christened battlefield.

Turning, he regarded Yoda. "What about Dooku?"

Yoda nodded. "If Dooku escapes, more systems to his cause he will rally. Stop him, we must."

Already, the First Battle of Geonosis was in full swing, LAAT's depositing their cargo (troops) before heading straight into battle, combating the Geonosian Fighters in a low-altitude dogfight for the skies. Jedi Knights and Masters were leading battalions of clone troopers into battle, charging headlong into the swarm of droids opposing them.

(**Alright, if you want a complete list of the forces used in the First Battle of Geonosis, here is where you get it: **.com/wiki/First_Battle_of_Geonosis**I'm not about to give out an entire list, and if you look at that link, you'll see I'd have to dedicate an entire page to it. Not gonna happen unless I get a LOT of requests.**)

Meanwhile, aboard one of the Trade Federation's Core Ships, the Separatist leaders were gathered around a holo-projection of the battlefield, staring in awe as ship after ship of Republic troops landed, depositing thousands of clones to counter their droid armies.

"The Jedi have amassed a HUGE army!" came Gunray's incredulous report.

"That doesn't seem possible." Dooku spoke. "_That army was supposed to be for my master's use. How in the world did the Jedi get ahold of it?"_

"How could the Jedi come up with an army so quickly?" he continued.

"It is of little importance! We must send ALL available droids into battle." replied Gunray.

Shaking his head, Dooku gestured to the dropships still unloading wave after wave of clone troopers. "There are too many."

Poggle regarded Dooku with distaste. "Our communications are being jammed. We have to order a retreat."

* * *

><p>Turning to his left, Mace watched as a LAAT was clipped with a cannon shot. It managed to right itself, until it was slammed by a second one dead center, igniting the engine and causing it to erupt, the entire ship exploding in a cloud of fire and smoke, the troopers in the loading bay fried in an instant before the charred husk fell out of the sky in a spiraling descent to the ground below.<p>

"PILOT!" Mace shouted, getting the clone's attention, "LAND IN THAT ASSEMBLY AREA!"

"Yes, sir." the pilot replied, aiming for a mid-level landing zone. Upon landing, Mace and Ki-Adi Mundi leapt from the ship, and approached a clone commander.

"Sir," he began, "I have five special commando units awaiting your orders." Nodding, Mace pointed to a location and they left, Ki-Adi following.

"To the forward command center, take me." ordered Yoda, and the LAAT took off, heading for the designated location.

* * *

><p>Whipping past Mace and Yoda's position, Obi-Wan, Padme, and Naruto leapt ahead, heading straight into battle. All around them, the two sides were ripping into one another, droids and clones falling left and right as both sides fought the very first battle of what would become known throughout the galaxy as, "The Clone Wars".<p>

"Revan...no, wait...NOW YOU LISTEN HERE, DAMNIT!" roared Naruto. He'd been conversing with his wife via comlink, who was with the children aboard another transport. They were currently arguing over who should get the kids out of harm's way, and Naruto was not about to put his family in danger. His outburst got both Padme and Obi-Wan, as well as Revan to quiet down.

"I am NOT about to put my children into harm's way like this, NOR am I about to put the love of my life in jeopardy like this. Dooku's changed, Revan. He's no longer the man we once knew. He's a SITH LORD, Rev."

"Don't bullshit me like this, Naruto! **I** was once a Sith Lord, so I know what it's like better than anyone. If anyone should confront him, it should be me!"

"Rev, I'm going to be completely honest with you: I'm stronger than you. You may not want to admit it, and you certainly won't admit it to yourself, but you KNOW I'm right."

A sigh came over the intercom, and Naruto knew he had her. "...Fine, but I SWEAR TO KAMI if you die, I will hunt you down in the afterlife and kill you again!"

Naruto grinned. "Love you too, dear." He closed the link, and turned to regard Obi-Wan. "Alright, now let's get to it."

Obi-Wan nodded. "We should start with those Core Ships. If we can knock them out, that'll remove some of their space forces from the battle, as well."

Naruto nodded, pointing to the nearest Core Ship. "Attack that Federation Starship. Quickly, before it takes off!"

The pilot nodded, and relayed commands to the two other pilots of nearby LAAT's, all three firing missiles at the rising Core Ship. The shells impacted one of the fuel cells, causing it to rupture and explode, the Core Ship veering sharply to the right as it lost equilibrium and began to flounder. Several SPHA-T's (Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery-Turbolasers) finished the job, their powerful mounted cannons destroying several more fuel cells, and bringing it crashing into a canyon, where it exploded in a huge fireball of debris and smoke.

Meanwhile, Yoda had just arrived at LZ1, and was greeted by the clone commander in charge. "Master Yoda, all forward positions are advancing."

Yoda hummed as he got off the dropship. "Very good. Very good."

More and more Republic forces were being deployed, Yoda having taken every last available soldier to go aid the Jedi on Geonosis. In all, approximately 196,000 clones were on the battlefield, laying waste to some 1 million battle droids of varying shapes and sizes.

Back in the CIS Command Bunker, Nute Gunray was once more in a panic. "This is not looking good, at all!"

Rune Haako, his confidant, agreed. "We must get the starships back into space."

Nodding, the two Nemoidians went about preparations for a full-scale retreat, leaving Count Dooku to gaze over the losing battle.

"My master will never allow the Republic to get away with this...treachery." said Dooku.

"**I'm sending my warriors to hide in the catacombs. The Republic will not be able to find us there.**" came Poggle the Lesser's reply. Walking over, he pressed several buttons, then removed a data storage device from the computer console, hobbling over to Dooku as he continued. "**The Jedi must not find our designs for the ultimate weapon. If they find out what we are planning to build, we are doomed."**

He then handed the device to Dooku, who pressed a button and brought up a holo-image of plans for a massive superweapon, the likes of which the galaxy had never known. "I will take these plans with me to Coruscant. They will be much safer there...with my master."

Nodding, Poggle then disappeared into the darkness, ready to sound the retreat to his troops, as well.

Heading down a flight of stairs, Dooku entered a hangar bay, and watched as the Separatist leaders entered a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle, the hatch closing before the ship sped off, heading for orbit as Dooku mounted his Flintknot speeder and departed the hanger, two Geonosian fighters acting as aerial support.

* * *

><p>The battle continued to rage outside, even as Trade Federation Core Ships began lifting off, their cargo of hundreds of thousands of battle droids a serious hazard to the Republic. Yoda knew of this, and was determined to bring those ships back to earth.<p>

"CONCENTRATE ALL YOUR FIREPOWER ON THOSE STARSHIPS!" he ordered.

The commander nodded. "Yes, sir!" Turning to the men at tactical, he gave them their orders. "Concentrate all firepower on Sector 515, and bring those bad boys down!"

Receiving their orders, the SPHA-T's concentrated their firepower on the nearest Core Ship, their turbolasers tearing and ripping through its' thick hull like a metaphorical knife through butter. Its' ascent slowed, and then stopped completely, the ship hovering midair for several seconds before the engines gave a final cough, and died.

With no propulsion to help it, the two Core Ships adjacent to it could only watch as their brother let gravity take hold, the several-million ton slab of metal plummeting to the earth below. Through their binoculars, the clone commanders aboard the SPHA-T's saw this, and ceased fire. All fire seemed to cease mere seconds before impact, a collective, "...Holy Shi-" felt on both sides before the giant ship kissed the dirt, the impact knocking up an 100-ft. Tsunami of dirt, dust, debris, and earth before sending it flying out on all sides, CIS and Republic forces alike swallowed up by the cascading wave.

Droids and troopers alike were flung off their feet as all conflicts around the impact ceased in favor of weathering the sudden change in atmospheric conditions. AT-TE's, Hailfire Tanks, Spider Droids, and even SPHA-T's were driven back by the huge explosion, the sheer driving force tossing infantry around like tumbleweeds across the barren desert landscape.

Even the aerial forces felt it, as LAAT's and Geonosian fighters were flung about like children's playthings, several crashing as a result, but most able to ride out the withering sandstorm. Naruto, Obi-Wan, and Padme began spitting out sand as they continued to fly into the barrage of dust and debris.

Eventually, when the storm established a set force, the battles resumed, even though it was only infantry that was able to fight as artillery and aerial forces were completely blinded by the storm. Throughout the dustwave, blue and red flashes could be seen, clones and droids shooting randomly into one another as they held their ground, doing their best to continue the battle despite Mother Nature's obvious protests.

Finally, the storm subsided, and Naruto managed to catch a glimpse of the one man he wanted dead most right now.

"LOOK OVER THERE!" he shouted, getting Obi-Wan to open his eyes and shake the dirt from his hair.

"It's Dooku." he concluded. Turning to the pilot, he gave a strict order: "SHOOT HIM DOWN!"

The pilot turned to Obi-Wan, and gave a curt reply. "We're all out of rockets, sir."

Cursing their bad luck, Obi-Wan relented. "Then follow him." The pilot nodded in response.

Padme turned to him. "We're going to need some help!"

Naruto shook his head. "There's no time. Obi-Wan and I can handle this."

Turning his head slightly at the sounds of a third engine, Dooku noticed his additional tail...one he hadn't requested. Dialing a few commands to his escorts, he waved his hand, and they looped around, flanking the LAAT in a matter of seconds before opening fire.

The pilot and co-pilot began evasive maneuvers, jerking and dodging and weaving back and forth, doing their best to avoid being shot down with no way to retaliate. Cresting a sand dune, the pilot was forced to fly low to avoid a hail of laser fire, and the bottom of the ship clipped the dune, sending Padme and a clone trooper flying out of the open bay door.

"PADME!" Obi-Wan cried. He would have jumped after her, if not for Naruto's firm, unrelenting grip on his shoulder.

Turning back to the pilot, Obi-Wan barked the order. "PUT THE SHIP DOWN **NOW!**"

Naruto also turned to the pilot. "BELAY THAT!" He then turned to Obi-Wan. "Ben, don't you DARE let your personal feelings get in the way of this. This is our ONE CHANCE to end this war before it can begin. OUR ONE CHANCE! If Dooku gets away, he WILL rally more systems, and he WILL turn this galaxy on its' head. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL **DIE!** We need to stop him NOW!"

Clenching his fist, Obi-Wan glared into Naruto's eyes. "You don't have to worry about YOUR loved ones. YOU got them out of harm's way! I still have to worry about Padme! LOWER THE FUCKING SHIP!"

_***SLAP**_*

Obi-Wan recoiled from the chakra-powered slap he received, slamming against the bulkhead. Getting eye level with him, Naruto managed to stay upright as the pilot made a rather daring fake to try and dodge a shot.

"Now you listen, and you listen good. I NEED you. I can take Dooku by myself, but I don't know what he'll have waiting there. There's a good chance we're going to be walking into a trap, and despite my strength, I don't have NEARLY as much knowledge on the workings of this galaxy as you do. He could have something in there that completely negates my powers, however unlikely that may be. I NEED YOU, Ben. I also need you to snap the fuck out of it, and get your head on straight, or you're going to get us both killed."

"But-"

Naruto smacked him again, Obi-Wan's head ringing once more. "We have a job to do-"

"I DON'T CARE-"

Naruto slapped him a third time, Obi-Wan starting to develop a major headache. "You will be expelled from the Jedi Order-"

"I CAN'T LEAVE HER-"

This time, Naruto punched him. This wasn't a chakra-packed punch, but it stung all the same to Obi-Wan. "COME TO YOUR MOTHERFUCKING SENSES! WHAT DO YOU THINK PADME WOULD DO WERE SHE IN YOUR POSITION?"

THAT got Obi-Wan's attention. His eyes widened, as if a realization dawned over him. "She...she would do her duty..."

Naruto grinned, and grasped Obi-Wan's hand, hoisting him to his feet. "That's the Ben I know and love."

Obi-Wan nodded, but in the back of his mind, his thoughts were still on Padme.

* * *

><p>Back at LZ1, Yoda could sense the troubled thoughts and feelings of Obi-Wan. However, he was interrupted by a clone commander. "Sir, the droid army is in full retreat."<p>

Yoda nodded his approval. "Well done, commander." He paused for a moment, then regarded the clone. "Bring me a ship."

* * *

><p>As Dooku reached his hangar, Naruto and Obi-Wan prepared to disembark...scratch that, prepared to leap for their lives to the platform below. They never got the chance, however, as an explosion could be heard behind them.<p>

Whipping his head around, Naruto grinned when he saw _Slave I_ whip past them, arcing into the sky before whipping around and pumping the second Geonosian fighter full of holes, the ship whining loudly before exploding, scattered debris raining down on the sand below.

Naruto's comm beeped, and he answered. "Can I guess who this is?"

"You can, but you only get three guesses." came Jango's voice over the intercom.

"Thanks for the assist, Jango. My wife sent you, didn't she?"

Boisterous laughter could be heard over the speaker. "Damn right, she did. I'm to, 'escort Namikaze, Amidala, and Kenobi until they reach LZ7, then Namikaze is to report for the ass-whooping of his life.'"

Obi-Wan, and even the pilots laughed, and Naruto groaned as he was once again embarrassed in front of comrades by his wife. The LAAT landed on the platform, and the two disembarked, letting the LAAT head back for refueling and reloading. Naruto was turning away when he heard the opening of a hatch, and turned to see Jango leap out of his ship, before turning and nodding to his son, who nodded back and sped off.

"Jango, what the hell-"

"I was ORDERED by your wife to escort you until you made it back. You haven't made it back, so my job isn't finished."

Obi-Wan laughed again, and patted Naruto on the back, who merely shook off Obi-Wan's hand and headed into the hangar, the other two following shortly after exchanging grins. **(AN:Jango doesn't have a helmet on at this time.)**

They'd barely gotten past the first doorway before they were greeted by three Dark Acolytes, each brandishing an already-ignited red lightsaber. Sighing, Naruto dispatched the first one, his speed easily catching the Acolyte off-guard, and one swift stroke of his saber ended his life.

Obi-Wan was next, his saber a flurry of motion as he disarmed the second one with ease, before plunging his blade into his stomach, the man gasping before slumping to the floor.

The third didn't even get a chance to move, as he was pegged between the eyes by a blaster bolt, his forehead smoking as he slumped to the ground. Shrugging, the three entered the hangar bay, where Count Dooku had just finished final pre-flight inspections, and was about to get in his personal Solar Sailer.

"So, it's the Jedi, the Ninja, and the Traitor. Welcome. I hope you three will enjoy your brief stay." Dooku spoke.

"You're going to pay for all the Jedi you killed today, Dooku." Obi-Wan growled.

"We shall see." came Dooku's reply.

Their lightsabers still ignited, Naruto and Obi-Wan glared at Dooku as Jango twirled his blasters, waiting for the perfect shot.

"We'll take him together." Naruto began. "You go in slowly on the left-"

"No, I'm taking him NOW!" Obi-Wan roared, leaping forward.

"Shit! BEN, DON'T!" Naruto cried.

Dooku smirked, and raised his hand, Force Lightning screaming from his fingertips and aiming directly for Obi-Wan. But Obi-Wan was not deterred, lifting his lightsaber to deflect the bolts as he continued to charge Dooku. Blinking, Dooku abruptly cut off, igniting his lightsaber and locking blades with Obi-Wan.

"BEN, YOU DAMN FOOL!" roared Naruto. Before he could act, Jango leapt into action, his blasters ablaze as he tried to attract Dooku's attention. The tactic worked, forcing Dooku to break the saber lock in order to deflect the bolts, none of them striking the Sith Lord.

That wasn't the point, however. Still firing, Jango pressed a button on his gauntlet, microwire shooting out of a hidden compartment and wrapping around Dooku's legs. He then ignited his (third) jetpack, soaring into the air and pulling the Sith Lord off his feet, Dooku's yelp of surprise echoing though the cavern.

Their flight was short-lived, however, as Dooku regained his bearings and sliced the wire with his saber, crashing to the ground below. Jango spun around, firing the rocket from his jetpack at Dooku. Smirking, Dooku raised his hand, intent on redirecting the rocket back at Jango. Before he could, Jango pressed another button on his gauntlet, the rocket exploding early and sending shrapnel at Dooku, the Sith Lord able to dodge most of it. Several cuts and scrapes appeared on him, however, some of them drawing blood.

Cursing, Dooku flung his lightsaber around himself, blocking the strike from Obi-Wan as he flung a Force Push at Jango, sending him across the cavern and into the wall, damaging the bounty hunter's jetpack. Cursing at losing a THIRD jetpack, Jango disconnected from it, and let it clank to the floor, the pack nothing but dead weight. He did, however, remove two cortosis-weave swords from its' storage compartment, the small blades able to withstand even the onslaught of a lightsaber.

Leaping forward, Jango engaged Dooku, mixing his fighting styles with that of Obi-Wan, driving the Sith Lord back as he continued to parry their blows. Getting a hook under Jango's blade, he ripped one from the bounty hunter's grasp, the blade spinning across the ground. He then used a Force Repel to knock the two combatants away from him, knocking the second blade from Jango's grasp, as well.

Obi-Wan managed to right his footing, but paled as he saw the Count advance on Jango, the bounty hunter's shots, while dead accurate, being deflected nonetheless. Raising his red saber, Dooku grinned as he saw the resignation in the man's eyes, and brought it down in a swift stroke...and connected with another saber.

His eyes widening, Jango looked to see Naruto blocking the strike, his own green-white saber countering Dooku's red saber. Shoving him away, Naruto bent and picked up Jango by the arm, letting him rest over by Obi-Wan.

Turning, he blocked a sneak attack from Dooku, the ex-Jedi Master growling as his attack failed to impale the ex-Hokage. Forcing him back again, Naruto delved deep into himself, and pulled out one of his most infamous techniques.

"SENNIN MODE!" he cried, causing Dooku's eyes to quirk in bewilderment, as Naruto's eyes gained an orange outline. "This is it. I'm not letting you try any tricks, play any games, or riddle me puzzles. I'm going to simply cut off your head, and be done with it."

Not giving him a chance to respond, Naruto sprang forward, covering feet in seconds and forcing the Count to rely on his experience to avoid being decapitated on the spot. Whirling around, he blocked a second head shot, then a third. His arms flailing, Dooku let his instinct take over, his reflexes barely saving him over and over again as Naruto moved too fast for him to see, the ninja driving the Sith Lord back over and over again, never losing an inch of ground as he pursued Dooku around the room.

Already panting, Dooku began looking for a way out, and his eyes darted to the two off to the side. Knowing this was an all or nothing gambit, Dooku forced a saber lock with Naruto, groaning as he felt his bones creak from the incredible power of Naruto's Sage Mode.

Slipping his hand under the ninja's guard, he fired a concentrated burst of Sith Lightning into Naruto's stomach, causing Naruto to lose concentration for just a second. A second was all he needed.

Sweeping Naruto's legs out from under him, Dooku took off before he even hit the ground, heading straight for Obi-Wan and Jango. Naruto landed and instantly put up a guard, expecting a second strike. When none came, he looked up and gasped as he saw the Count charging the other two. Leaping to his feet, Naruto staggered, the effects of the brief encounter with Sith Lightning causing his muscles to seize.

Reaching Obi-Wan, Dooku struck out, his saber clashing with the others. A blaster pistol was shoved in his face, and Dooku could smell the blaster bolt being fed into the chamber. He whipped his head out of the way, his eyebrows slightly singed by the bolt that went screaming past.

A Force Push slammed Jango into the wall, knocking him to the floor with a grunt. Breaking the saber lock, Dooku slipped under Obi-Wan's guard, nicking his arm with his blade. Obi-Wan cried out, before Dooku then nicked his leg, forcing the Jedi Master to the ground.

Standing over Obi-Wan, Dooku grinned devilishly as he twirled his lightsaber lazily. "Tsk, tsk, tsk...Master Kenobi, you disappoint me. Yoda holds you in such high esteem. He even says you are one of the strongest of your generation. Apparently, you fail to live up to such expectations. Farewell."

Raising his lightsaber, Dooku plunged it down, the blade sinking into flesh as an agonized scream could be heard. Naruto's cry of disbelief could be heard throughout the chamber, and it echoed through the dunes.

* * *

><p>Yoda arrived on the scene, and had just gotten off the LAAT when he heard a bloodcurdling scream that chilled him to his very bones, followed by an agonized roar that scarred him to his very soul:<p>

"_**JANGOOOOOOOOOOO!**_"

Eyes widening, and without a second's thought, Yoda harnessed as much of the Force as he could muster, and pumped it all into his legs, his cane landing with a clank as he sped into the chamber.

* * *

><p>Hunched over Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jango Fett was struggling to breathe, the point of a red lightsaber jutting out of his stomach.<p>

"H-how are you d-doin'...Ben?" he gasped.

Shock was the only thing registering on Obi-Wan's face. He'd watched as the saber swung down, intent on piercing his gut, and he could only watch as Jango leapt in the blade's path, the bounty hunter's cry of agony as the lightsaber pierced his flesh ringing in his ears. But what came next he knew would forever haunt his immortal soul:

"_**JANGOOOOOOOOOOO!**_"

The roar was deafening, and shook the very cavern which they were in. Dooku barely had time to register the sound of footsteps as he was flung aside, his body sailing though the air like a rag doll before cratering in the wall at the far end of the room, blood and saliva flying from his mouth as his saber was knocked from his hand and clanked to the floor.

Obi-Wan found Jango unceremoniously pulled from him, Naruto cradling the bounty hunter's body in his arms as he applied some medical ninjutsu to the gaping wound in his friend's stomach.

"Nonononononononono...c'mon, Jango...please...no...JANGO, STAY WITH ME!" he cried, tears already streaming down his face.

Jango merely looked up at Naruto, a weak grin on his face. "Why...why cry for me...Naruto? I...never did anything...to deserve it..."

Naruto managed a shaky grin as he continued to utilize the limited medical training Tsunade taught him. "Baka...you're my friend...my wife's friend...we care about you."

Jango smiled, before coughing up half-coagulated blood. "F-friend, huh? I...I kissed your wife...Naruto."

Naruto laughed. "I know. She told me that it was your, 'Good-Luck Charm'."

Jango sighed in mock-relief, coughing up more blood. "I'm glad...I didn't want you...getting mad...a-and...killing me...over it. Not...like it makes...much difference...now."

Naruto frowned, his tears dripping onto Jango's bloodied armor. "Don't say that...you're going to be fine...stay with me, Jango."

Jango smiled. "D-don't bullshit...the bullshitter, Naruto...I know I'm finished...I knew that when I protected Kenobi...just...make sure..." His eyes began to close. "...make sure...to take care...of Boba..._please_..." And with that, Jango slumped in Naruto's arms, his eyes closed in peaceful death.

Naruto paled, his eyes frantically searching for any sign of life. "Jango? Jango, buddy? Jango, wake up...no, don't do this...don't leave...come back...COME BAAAAAAAACCCCCKK!"

Obi-Wan hung his head, tears streaming down his face as he watched Naruto lose yet another friend to war and violence. His eyes snapped open, however, when he felt the single most malevolent force he'd ever felt in his entire life.

Whipping his head up, Obi-Wan saw the devil. Jango was laid out on the ground, his arms folded on his chest. Standing next to him was a human-sized, Hellfire-red, 9-tailed Demon Fox, it's orange-red fur bristling, and its' slitted red eyes glistening as its' tails whipped back and forth violently. What was peculiar about this...already peculiar state were two things: the eyes were not only slitted, but had cross-shaped pupils, the signs that Naruto was not out of Sage Mode yet. The second feature that Obi-Wan found intriguing was, despite his appearance...Fox-Sage Naruto was still crying, tears of blood flowing down his cheeks, and dripping to the ground.

Hearing a gasp, Obi-Wan looked over and saw Grand Jedi Master Yoda, his eyes wide and mouth agape as he stared at the fully transformed Naruto. To make a seasoned Jedi of over 800 years of age gasp in awe, fear, and terror was something to behold. It also meant that Dooku was royally screwed.

* * *

><p>The whole world was in chaos. Left was Right, Up was Down, In was Out, and Pain was still Pain. Dooku had never been through this level of agony in his entire life, and even as he pulled his shattered body from the crater it made, he almost wished he was dead. Almost.<p>

Staggering to his feet, he thanked the Force he had managed to put up a barrier between himself and the wall. Otherwise, he'd be nothing more than a stain on the rock wall. As it was, his left arm was shattered in several places, his skull had a hairline fracture, and he was pretty sure he had a few broken ribs.

Retrieving his lightsaber, he managed to look through his one eye, seeing as the other was swollen shut. What he saw made him take back his earlier statement about death.

A 9-Tailed Demon Fox glared back at him, its' eyes seething hatred as it did its' damndest to burn Dooku to ash where he stood. Even now, Dooku felt like his clothes were smoking. He stumbled backwards, his right hand coming into contact with his Solar Sailer. Fear in his eyes, his heart, and his soul, Dooku slammed his hand on the door jam, leaping inside his ship before the door slammed shut, and the ship took off, the engine screaming as it shot away into the atmosphere.

Seeing Dooku flee in terror, Naruto released his powers, his Fox and Sage forms dissipating as he slumped to his knees, his body wracked with sobs.

Broken from his trance, Yoda hobbled quickly over to Naruto and Obi-Wan, kneeling before Jango's body and running a hand over it, before shaking his head and sighing in sadness. "Gone, he is. One with the Force, he has become."

Naruto slammed his fist into the ground, his knuckles cracking as he exerted enough pressure to fracture the durasteel plating. "Damnit...Damnit...Damnit...Damnit...DAMNIT!" He cried, each word punctuated by another punch, his fist bending the durasteel more and more as he went about shattering the bones in his hand.

Using the Force, Yoda grunted as he managed to stop Naruto's next punch, the former Hokage collapsing into sobs on the ground. Yoda knelt next to Naruto and did his best to comfort him. "Nothing to do, you could. His time to go, it was. Unable to alter fate, you are."

Obi-Wan picked up Jango's body, tears still staining his beard as he carried him to the exit, Naruto following as Yoda did his best to remain unaffected by Naruto's torment through the Force.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Republic Landing Zone 7...<strong>_

Revan, Padme, and the others waited anxiously for Naruto, Obi-Wan, and Yoda's arrival. When Yoda's LAAT was seen in the distance, many became overjoyed. However, Revan was not. She had tried to reach her husband via their link, but could not get though. She had become increasingly worried, but her fears alleviated when the LAAT landed on one of the platforms.

The bay door opened, and Naruto, Obi-Wan, and Yoda, along with several clone troopers, disembarked. The group rushed over to greet them, but stopped as they saw the despondent looks on their faces. Naruto came first, walking right past everyone with a haunted look in his eyes. Revan reached for him, but he brushed her off, opting to enter the _Millennium Falcon_ and disappear. Yoda was next, his sorrowful expression worrying everyone almost as much, if not more so, than Naruto's. Finally, Obi-Wan came, and that's when it all hit home, as he was carrying the body of the bounty hunter Jango Fett.

Revan's eyes immediately watered, and she fell to her knees and sobbed, Boba screaming in agony as his father's corpse was shown to him for the first time, tears streaming down the little boy's face as he cried for the only family he'd ever had.

Obi-Wan laid Jango in front of the sobbing child, before wrapping him in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Boba. I'm so sorry." he said, over and over and over as Boba's heart tore itself apart.

Mace Windu regarded Yoda with a saddened expression. "How did he die?"

Yoda sighed, looking at the fellow Council member. "Shielded Obi-Wan from Count Dooku, he did. Cost him his life, it did. Remembered, he will be. Never forgotten, no...never forgotten."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Coruscant, The Works Sector...<strong>_

Groaning, Dooku disembarked his Solar Sailer, and came face-to-face with his surprised master.

"Dooku...what is the meaning of all this?" the Dark Lord of the Sith inquired.

Wheezing, Dooku continued to harness the Force to stand upright. "Na-namikaze, my master..."

Sideous growled. "To think, that bitch would become so powerful..."

Coughing, Dooku slumped to his knees, causing his master to turn towards him in alarm. "Do not worry, my apprentice. I will fetch a medical droid immediately."

Turning, Sideous began to walk away, before his robes were snagged. Turning, he regarded Dooku's hand on his cloak.

"N-not the woman...my lord...the other...Naruto N-Namikaze..."

Sideous' eyes widened. "That brat did all this? You lie!"

Coughing up blood, Dooku slumped to his hands and knees, allowing Sideous to fetch a medical droid. "_After all, I still need him...for now._" thought Sideous.

As the medical droids loaded Dooku onto a stretcher, Dooku halted them and began conversing with his master again.

"The boy...he's powerful...much more powerful than Skywalker..."

Sideous kept his anger in check, knowing any more damage to the Count could result in his demise. "What of the war?"

Nodding, Dooku gave his short report. "It has begun, my lord."

"Excellent." Sideous replied, before ushering the droids and Dooku to the medical bay. Once they were gone, Sideous began walking back to his hovercar. "Naruto...perhaps this boy is worth looking into, after all. If he is even remotely as powerful as Tyranus claims, he could very well surpass me in power."

Getting in his car, he began to fly back to the Central Sector of Coruscant. "Aside from a few minor alterations...everything is going according to plan."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Jedi Temple, Several Days Later...<strong>_

Revan, Naruto, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Mace Windu were assembled in the Council Chambers. A funeral had been held for Jango Fett, and he'd been given full Jedi honors, a funeral pyre constructed just for him. A select few attended, those present among them. Few words were said, but the ones that were, were filled with love, respect, adoration, and friendship towards the former bounty hunter.

Naruto, still getting over the loss of another friend, spoke up, startling everyone present. "Do you believe what Count Dooku said about Sideous controlling the Senate? It doesn't seem right. I mean, we would have known, right?"

Yoda hummed. "Join the Dark Side, Dooku has. Lies, Deceit, creating Mistrust are his ways, now."

Mace nodded. "Yes, but nevertheless, I feel we should keep a closer eye on the Senate."

Revan nodded, as well. "I agree."

Obi-Wan spoke up. "I hate to admit this, but without the clones, it would not have been a victory."

Yoda cut him off there. "VICTORY? Victory, you say?" Yoda shook his head. "Master Obi-Wan, not a victory. The shroud of the Dark Side has fallen...BEGUN, the Clone War has."

**AAAAAAANNNNNNNNDDDDDDD SCENE! Thus ends Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. Yes, I'm a heartless bastard for killing off Jango, but I honestly couldn't foresee him going any further than Episode 2. Not because he originally dies in the movie, but because he would just seem out of place if he survived.**

**In the end, I feel that he died in a much more noble way than simply getting his head lopped off by a pissed-off Samuel L. Jackson. As for Naruto, you all may be wondering: WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T HE KILL DOOKU WHEN HE HAD THE CHANCE? Simple: If I killed off Dooku, then there'd be no 'Leader' of the CIS. Grievous can't pull it off, since that was made apparent in Episode III, and Anakin can't be it, because he has ties to the Supreme Chancellor. If he suddenly popped up saying, "I'm the new leader, mofos!", people would get suspicious, no?**

**SO, despite the fact that I'd LOVE to kill Dooku there, he needs to stay alive until Episode III, where he gets killed by * SPOILER *.**

**Also, on a side note, I'm not entirely sure when I'm going to be able to post the next chapter, seeing as I'm incredibly busy with a ton and a half of things. So much for summer vacation. But I will say this now: THIS STORY IS NOT ABANDONED UNTIL I SAY IT IS! At most, it is on hiatus, and even THAT is stretching it. I'm just too busy to write, is all.**

**Once again, I'm incredibly happy that you all have stuck with me thus far, and here's to more Star Wars/Naruto crossover goodness!**

**-Sgt. Assassin, signing out.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note**

Okay, I've got good news and bad news. Bad news is, this Author's Note is going to be the last chapter of Jedi Knight Naruto: Revised. Now you must all be thinking: You're a hypocrite. You said you weren't going to abandon the story.

Here's the good news: I'm not. I previously said that I would be doing The Clone Wars Animated Series, and I am. However, after looking at the amount of chapters in just one season, I decided I would create an entirely separate story and title it: Jedi Knight Naruto: Revised, The Clone Wars.

So yes, this particular story has come to a close. However, whenever a door closes, another one opens. So be prepared to walk through the new door.

_Enter the Clone Wars._


End file.
